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The early New Testament church gathered consistently. In agreement with apostolic teaching and tradition, their gatherings were intentionally Christ-centered and Spirit-filled.
Christ-Centered The Christ-centered gatherings of the early New Testament church did not involve singing, teaching, giving, or praying about Christ. Constituting a performance for Him and thus, it would have been the equivalent of dead, religious works. The practice of the early church was significantly more satisfying than a religious performance for Christ. It was a privileged celebration in which the immediate, living (zoe) presence of Jesus was central. Rather than taught about in church gatherings, Jesus was the teacher. By the fullness of His indwelling Spirit, He personally taught and ministered life (zoe) to the body of His ecclesia. Rather than sung about, the early church worshiped in song with Jesus. It was dynamic and interactive. Therefore, worshipping with Jesus was not just singing for the sake of singing. Instead, it presented an intimate form of fellowship between the Head and body of the church. By dependent faith, worshipping with Jesus was guided by the immediate presence of His indwelling Spirit. Consequently, interaction between church Head and body in song was personal and intentional. Rather than giving for Christ, the giving of the early church was a prayerful, interactive endeavor. Consequently, Jesus was allowed to direct its giving. Therefore, the cheerful giving of the early church was fruitful. Christian community was cultivated and multiplied, and individual and collective need were satisfied. Rather than prayed about, Jesus Christ was personally pursued and addressed by prayer “in the Spirit.” Originating from the Spirit of Christ, the prayer of the church body was in conformance with the will of God. (cf. Romans 8:26-27; John 14:13; 15:7; James 4:3; 1 John 5:14) As a result, the prayer of the early church was eternally significant. (1 John 5:14-15) The early New Testament church did not gather to hear about Jesus Christ or to perform for Him. Instead, inclusive of spiritual family, every practice of the collective church body was designed to welcome the pursuit of Jesus Christ. By grace through faith alone, the collective gatherings of the early New Testament church were an intimate encounter between the living (zoe) Christ and His beloved body. From the midst of His body Jesus provided the necessary life (zoe) and leadership to guide the eternal practice of His body on earth. (cf. Matthew 18:20; John 20:19; Hebrews 2:12; Revelation 1:13; 2:1; 4:6; 5:6) Consequently, the body of Christ was privileged to enjoy His unconditional love and acceptance, hear His voice, feel His touch, receive His healing, and minister to one another from an overflow of His presence. In contrast, when Christ was not acknowledged as central to the collective gatherings of the church it was quickly discovered that human need and concern dominated. (cf. 1 Corinthians 11-14) As a result, church gatherings were not characterized by heavenly order and peace but earthly confusion and conflict. (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40) It is important to clarify that it was not the responsibility of a small number of church leaders to ensure the preservation and protection of Christ-centered church gatherings. To the contrary, giving a small number of people leadership over the church would have established significant room for error in both doctrine and practice. The preservation and protection of the centrality of Christ in early church gatherings was the spiritual obligation of every Spirit-birthed member of the church body. It necessitated their willing faithfulness to participate according to the fullness of the Spirit. “… in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14; NKJV) The centrality of Christ in early church gatherings constituted the divinely appointed means for preserving church doctrine and protecting church practice. When Jesus was pursued prayerfully by the Spirit, the co-equal brothers and sisters of the church body were empowered to grow together in their knowledge of church doctrine, apply it together in practice, and stand together against falsehood. Willingly submitted to apostolic teaching and tradition, the early New Testament church recognized the surpassing value of the centrality of Christ. Further, it understood that it was His personal presence that made their gatherings distinct. It was clear to them, without the living (zoe) presence of Christ, they would have been viewed as nothing more than another dead, religious group. |
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Spirit-Filled
The centrality of Christ in the gatherings of the early church was assured by the collective fullness of His indwelling Spirit. Consequently, the Apostle Paul commanded the assembled New Testament church to “be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18) The verb pleeroústhe (be filled) was written in the present imperative and, therefore, it means to be constantly, moment by moment, filled with the fullness of the Spirit of Christ. Thus, the apostolic command was to keep on being filled to overflowing by the fullness of the Spirit. The overflowing fullness of the Spirit was evidenced in the gatherings of the early New Testament church by the manifestation and fruit of the Spirit. Among other things, the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ was recognized through spiritually gifted ministry, spiritual fellowship, participatory worship in song, abundant thanksgiving, and mutual submission. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 5:19-21; cf. 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1) The resultant fruit of the Spirit was “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Overflowing with the fullness of the Spirit of Christ, it was important for the early New Testament church to cultivate sensitivity to His specific prompting. Once discerned, the church body was obligated to “keep in step” with the Spirit and faithfully follow His guidance. It was prayerfully weighed against the apostolic teaching and tradition that had been passed down from the apostles to “faithful men.” Today, the ecclesia of God is privileged to possess the Word of God in written form. Therefore, any presumed guidance by the Spirit must be prayerfully weighed against the apostolic teaching and tradition of the New Testament. If necessary, it should also be supported by the counsel of the more mature members or elders. The Spirit of Christ is intimately aware of the needs of each member of His assembled ecclesia. He knows precisely when and how He will minister eternal life (zoe) to each one. Therefore, the gathered church is obligated to seek the fullness of the Spirit of Christ, wait on Him, and follow His guidance. |
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Practice
The Christ-centered, Spirit-filled assembly of the early New Testament church was recognized by a distinct practice. Scripturally speaking, it involved the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the intimacy of small group community that was interactive, intergenerational, and moved from house to house. Lord’s Supper The early New Testament church originally gathered in a large group setting in the precincts of the Jewish temple to hear the teaching of the apostles. It provided them with the privileged opportunity to learn the fundamentals of their new faith. As the day progressed, the early church gathered in smaller, more intimate groups from house to house. Indicative of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the primary activity of the house to house gatherings of the early church was the breaking of bread. (cf. Matthew 26:26; Acts 2:46; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:17-34) The Book of Jude refers to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as the “Agape Feast” or “Love Feast” (Jude 12). For a number of reasons, it is clear that the “breaking of bread” referred to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as a full meal. (Acts 2:46) Not only is Jude 12 a likely reference to a full meal, but the Lord’s Supper celebrated as a full meal is also indicated by the context of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. In addition, the New Testament Greek word translated as “supper” is deipnon (dipe'-non). It is used 16 times in the New Testament, never once for anything less than a full meal. The other activities of the early New Testament church took place during their celebration of the Lord’s Supper as a full meal. For example, the gathered were moved by the fullness and fellowship of the Spirit to worship in song; give thanks; submit to one another; engage in spiritually gifted ministry to one another; pray; etc. (Acts 2:42, 46; 1 Corinthians 11:1-14:40; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 5:18-21; Philippians 2:1; Colossians 3:16) The practice of the Lord’s Supper as a full meal was foreshadowed by the Jewish Passover (Exodus 12:1-28, 43-49; Deuteronomy 16:1-8) and the Lord’s “Last Supper” (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20). Its purpose will be fulfilled in the future by the heavenly “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:7-10) Further, the Lord’s Supper celebrated as a full meal was the sign of the redemptive Eternal Covenant. Thus, the meal was intended to represent the bountiful overflow of covenantal life (zoe). Therefore, it ultimately constituted a celebration of life (zoe) in the highest shared with Jesus Christ. |
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Small Group Community
The New Testament supports only the small group environment for the collective gatherings of the church. The small group setting is further reinforced by church history. The entire New Testament was written in the context of intimate, small group, team-based community. Therefore, removing the ecclesia from its small group context renders much of the ecclesiology of the New Testament senseless. For example, apart from the context of small group community the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the spiritually gifted ministry of every member, church discipline, spiritual conflict and outreach become ineffective or nonexistent. The large group setting for the New Testament church cannot effectively accommodate the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as a full meal, the spiritually gifted ministry of every member, loving church discipline or team-based spiritual conflict and outreach. It is illogical for such life-based (zoe) practices. Consequently, the ecclesiology of the New Testament must be twisted to fit into the context of a large group meeting. The unfortunate truth is that when church gatherings are unnaturally forced into a large group setting the New Testament church becomes spiritually unfruitful. Its fruitlessness is first and foremost related to the necessary rule of law. While the intimacy of small group community is conducive for the rule of divine life (zoe), the businesslike environment of the large group setting is not. The management of a large group of human beings is essentially an impersonal endeavor that is naturally facilitated by the rule of law. The rule of law, however, is contrary to the life (zoe) based practices of the church. Forcing life (zoe) based small group practice into the legal environment of a large group serves to quench it and consequently, renders it spiritually fruitless. Apart from life (zoe), the church must lean on lifeless (zoe) religious practice. As a result, the Lord’s Supper naturally changes from a celebration to a solemn ceremony. The opportunity for every member ministry becomes extinct. The purpose for church discipline is radically changed from correction to punishment. Additionally, spiritual conflict and outreach are no longer approached as a team by faith in the incomparable power of Christ. Instead, it is largely ignored. The practice of the New Testament church was not designed to be legalistically performed for God under the rule of law. Instead, it was predetermined to be fulfilled with Him by the gracious rule of His indwelling life (zoe). Graciously obligated to God by the rule of His indwelling life (zoe), the members of each small group community of the early New Testament church were privileged to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together as a full meal, minister to one another according to the gracious gifting of the Spirit and grow together through loving discipline. In spiritual conflict, they could faithfully and prayerfully stand firm together in the fullness of the protective armor of Jesus Christ. Further, the small group communities of the early church were most suitable for team-based outreach to the unbelieving world. The New Testament church manifested predominantly in small group community is reinforced by early church history. Within two years after its founding in Jerusalem, large group meetings were abandoned. For the 300 years that ensued, the ecclesia assembled only in small group community. It alone was accommodative of life-based (zoe) church practice that was Christ-centered and Spirit-filled. In contrast, the law-based, large groups meetings of the “church” in special buildings did not become the norm until the fourth century. It was the result of radical governmental policies initiated by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Historically, the intimate small group environment was effective for the accommodation of a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, celebratory gatherings for the following reasons: |
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Both the New Testament and church history clarify that small group community presented an environment favorable for Christ-centered, Spirit-filled church gatherings. Relative to the intimacy of the environment, the early ecclesia was able to recognize Jesus not only as heavenly Lord but as the immediate, active head of their community on earth.
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Interactive Community
According to biblical pattern, the members of the New Testament church were not merely intended to sit in a passive manner and receive instruction about God. Instead, its Christ-centered, Spirit-filled gatherings were predesigned to be dynamic, characterized by interaction between Christ and His body. The dynamic interaction between Christ and the members of His body emphasized teamwork. It was inclusive and interactive, involving every member of collective church gatherings. Christ indwelling, gifting, empowering, and using every member of His body is normative for the New Testament church. It was a fundamental characteristic of Christ-centered gatherings and the doctrine of the priesthood of every believer. (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6, 5:10, 20:6) The cooperative involvement of every member contributed to the vitality and growth of the church. (Ephesians 4:11-16; cf. Romans 12:4-13; Colossians 2:19) The dynamic, interactive gatherings of the New Testament church were recognized by ministry that was reciprocal. Christ ministered eternal life (zoe) to His body. He was the source of fulfillment for its every need. In turn, every member of the assembled church body was blessed to reciprocate Christ’s ministry of eternal life (zoe), not only to Him personally but to the gathered members of His body. In Christ, overflowing with the fullness of His Spirit, each person gathered was uniquely equipped with a privileged, gifted ministry through which they could faithfully bless Christ and His body. The “one-another” ministries of the New Testament are reflective of the interactive, team-based practice of the gathered ecclesia: |
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Intergenerational Community
The small group gatherings of the early New Testament church were not only interactive but intergenerational. Thus, they were inclusive of people from every age group. In contrast to the large group meetings of the modern church, the early church’s intimate, small group environment was favorable for the inclusion of children. It was family-oriented and, thus, designed to contribute to the edification of both adults and children. The collective assembly of the early New Testament church constituted the intentional gathering of a loving family under divine headship. Thus, adults and children alike were graciously allowed to enjoy the living (zoe) presence of their Lord and Savior, experience His edifying power, and fulfill His eternal purpose. Today, children of all ages are able to participate in most, if not all, of the activities associated with New Testament church gatherings. For example, they can eat with the adults. Further, while the younger children may not yet be ready to share the bread and cup, they most certainly can enjoy the food associated with the rest of the meal. In addition, children can participate through worship in song, prayer, fellowship, and, to a limited extent, interactive ministry. Younger children may not have the patience to last through an entire gathering of the collective church. It is prudent, however, that they remain as long as possible. It provides them with the opportunity to witness the loving ministry of Christ and, as demonstrated by the adults and older children, the submission of the small group community to His immediate, active headship. Distraction from the preeminence of Christ in the collective assemblies of the New Testament church is relatively common. It occurs not only from children but adults as well. Nevertheless, the living Christ, the Head of His body, is alone worthy of its attention and adoration. Therefore, it is a continual and critical necessity in the interactive, intergenerational, house to house gatherings of the church to engage in the good fight of faith to preserve and protect the preeminence of Christ. House to House Community “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house; they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2:46-47) For approximately two years, the early New Testament church met in a large group setting in the ancient ruins of Solomon’s Temple. They also assembled in the intimacy of the small group setting from house to house. The large group meetings of the early church in the ruins of the temple were short-lived. They were exclusive to the origination of the ecclesia on earth. The temporary large group meetings allowed the apostles to teach thousands of new believers the fundamentals of the faith. However, while important to the founding of the ecclesia on earth, the large group setting was not considered expedient for its growth beyond Jerusalem. Within two years of its initiation on earth, God allowed persecution to drive the early New Testament church from Jerusalem. For the next 300 years, the ecclesia assembled only in small group community from house to house. (cf. Acts 2:46; 5:42; 8:3; 12:12; 20:20; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2) The New Testament does not reference any large group gatherings of the early church outside of Jerusalem. Instead, its entire ecclesiology was written in the context of an intimate small group environment. The small group setting from house to house was effective for accommodating the church in the form of a spiritual body and consequently, the spiritual life (zoe) of God on earth. Further, it was efficacious for facilitating Christ-centered, Spirit-filled gatherings. The small group setting from house to house was simple, timeless, mobile, flexible, cross-cultural, and easily multiplied. Movement from house to house also provided important safeguards. First, it helped to keep Christ central by not allowing any individual homeowner to appear more important than another. Second, moving from house to house assisted in preventing any single participant or family from asserting control over the affairs of the group. Third, it was conducive for the nurture of community. Gathering in the homes of every member of the ecclesia cultivated the opportunity for ministry. It revealed how group members lived, what they valued, etc. Therefore, gathering from house to house furnished insight for meeting both physical and spiritual needs. Fourth, it served to increase intimacy between the members of the community. Moving from house to house could protect the unity of the faith by deepening friendships and encouraging mutual spiritual growth. Fifth, it allowed opportunity for outreach to new neighborhoods. Sixth, moving from house to house did not allow the burden of preparation to fall on one family. Seventh, it had the potential to keep the ecclesia sheltered from opposition. 
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From house to house, the primary practice of the early New Testament church involved the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as a full meal. Intimate, interactive, and intergenerational, it presented an environment that was most conducive for Christ to remain central to His body by the fullness of His indwelling Spirit.
The Christ-centered, Spirit-filled small group gatherings of the early New Testament ecclesia were anything but boring. To the contrary, overflowing with the living (zoe) presence, edifying power, and ministering purpose of Jesus Christ they were a dynamic, joyful celebration. © 2022 James Hiatt |
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