4 Practices of the Early Church We Should Emulate Today {Deeper Dive-free preview}
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4 Practices of the Early Church We Should Emulate Today {Deeper Dive-free preview}
Reading through the Bible this year.
This piece is AI-free. These words are my creation minus the mechanics of artificial intelligence.
Last week, my Bible reading plan reached the book of Acts! If reading the gospels wrecked me, which it did, then reading Acts has impacted me.
Luke records in the Book of Acts a timeline of the early days of the church. It is a resource on the life of the first-century church and its practices—and how this applies to us as believers.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2.42
We often equate the Book of Acts only with what happened in the upper room on Pentecost. While this was indeed an event the church should remember and celebrate, there is more to learn from this New Testament book.
Today, though my roots are Pentecostal, I attend a nondenominational church. Many faith backgrounds are represented there, and I’m thankful God has exposed me to a broader church culture. These are my brothers and sisters in the Lord. We may not share the same beliefs regarding every church issue, but we can dwell together in unity and love (Psalm 133.1).
The truth is the New Testament church held similarities to today’s church. Denominational-like divisions were not established, but differences in understanding and beliefs were present.
In addition, the lives of the first Christ-followers were turned upside down. Once they professed Him as Lord, it is likely they were not welcome within the traditional religious communities. Many became estranged from family and friends. Most would face persecution. Some died a martyr’s death for their faith.
As a result, what developed was a tight-knit community of people banding together as followers of this new gospel—a gospel that would soon take the world by storm.
In this environment, and under the leadership of the apostles, certain practices would serve as foundational elements of the church. These practices would teach, grow, and sustain them for the days ahead.
4 Practices of the Early Church We Should Emulate Today
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2.42
In Acts 2.42, you will find the four practices of the church emphasized in this post. See if you can list them!
At the beginning of Acts 2, we read about the upper room experience and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Then, Peter preaches to the crowd—and verse 41 says, “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all (NLT).”
Wow! Immediately, the church grew by 3,000 people! What would happen in our churches today if 3,000 lives came to Jesus in one gathering? I’m not sure we’re ready or prepared to handle it.
Apostles’ Teaching
On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. Acts 20.7
The church was established on the teachings of Jesus. He modeled this during his earthly ministry—teaching his disciples, speaking to the crowds, and sharing in the synagogue.
New Testament believers needed an understanding of life under the New Covenant—this gospel of Jesus. Remember, their lives had turned upside down. The teaching of doctrine outside of the Old Law and instruction on how to now live was necessary to their growth as believers.
The New Living Translation says, “…[Paul] kept talking until midnight.” If you’ve traveled on a mission trip to a developing country, you may have experienced a worship gathering that went on for hours and hours—and no one seemed to mind at all.
We don’t often hear preaching or teaching until midnight in the American church but it is not unusual in other cultures. Experiencing this first-hand has shown me that when people are hungry for more of God time holds no distraction.
For similar reasons, gathering to hear the apostles’ teachings was a crucial practice of the first-century church. It is still crucial to the church’s mission today.
Fellowship
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6.14
The church was also established on fellowship. This was an integral part of Jesus’ ministry. He modeled and taught fellowship, and expected it to be a part of the body of believers here on earth.
This word fellowship in 2 Cor. 6.14 is koinōnia in Greek and means (social) intercourse, fellowship, and intimacy.1 Also, notice the word partnership in this same verse, which translates as metochē and means sharing, communion, fellowship.2
In this passage, the apostle Paul makes a double comparison. Righteousness and lawlessness cannot co-exist—light and darkness are conflicting. Just as the early church banded together over their new-found faith, today’s church should band together in Christian love and purpose. In such a partnership, righteousness and light blessedly flourish.
A life of fellowship and community was essential to the first builders of God’s kingdom on earth. To join in unity and faith brought healing and encouragement. Not much has changed. Today’s church still desperately needs fellowship, partnership, and community.
Breaking Bread
On the first day of the week…we were gathered together to break bread… Acts 20.7a (NASB95)
The church was established on the sacraments. Jesus observed the sacrament of breaking bread with his disciples. “When He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’” (Luke 22.19 NASB95)
In Christian circles, you may hear the phrase break bread together as a reference to small group activities or an encouragement to welcome others to your table. This use of breaking bread is not wrong. It was common in 1st-century culture for families and individuals to gather and share a meal. This carried over to the early church as a part of fellowship and community.
The spiritual significance of breaking bread begins with the word break. When the bread is ‘blessed and broken’ it becomes an act of consecration, sanctifying the bread for its intended purpose—as the Lord’s body was ‘broken and consecrated’ for its eternal purpose unto salvation.
Today, the church remembers the work of Jesus on our behalf when we observe Communion (Lord’s Supper, Lord’s Table). This is symbolic of His death and resurrection. The church still needs this observance and reminder, lest we forget—from generation to generation.
Prayer
And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. Matthew 21.22
The church was established on prayer. In Matthew 21.22, Jesus spoke these words as he taught his disciples. The word prayer here essentially means prayer addressed to God.3 (It’s the same meaning for prayer found in Acts 2.42, our key verse.)
Have you ever heard yourself say, “I just don’t know how to pray?” This thought has probably entered most of our minds, especially in challenging times. It helps me to remember that prayer is simply a conversation with God.
This is what Jesus was saying to his followers. “Make your prayer to God—earnestly, believing, expecting.” Don’t you know that Jesus knew how vital heartfelt prayer would be to the church in the coming days?
The apostle Paul reinforced Jesus’ teaching on prayer throughout his writings to the New Testament churches. To the church in Colossae, he wrote, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart (Col. 4.2).”
The early church and believers needed this reminder to keep on praying—both corporately and individually. The 21st-century church needs the same reminder today.
The impact Acts has had on me may be due, in part, to the One Year Chronological Bible NLT I’m reading this year. The New Living Translation has been especially engaging throughout this almost one-year process.
If you’ve been here a while, you know I recommend a word-for-word Bible translation for thorough study, and teaching or writing. My preferred word-for-word Bibles are NASB and ESV. (Word-for-word translations attempt the most literal interpretation, while thought-for-thought translations focus on interpretation that today’s readers can understand.)
Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2842/kjv/tr/0-1/ Link effective 11/16/2023.
Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3352/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/ Link effective 11/16/2023.
Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4335/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/ Link effective 11/19/2023.