THE FOUR DEFINITE ARTICLES OF THE EARLY CHURCH

   

When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost three thousand souls received the word of God through Peter's preaching (Acts 2). Those who gladly received the word were baptized and added to the church (Acts 2:41). Then we read of four things these believers in Jesus were radically committed to: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers." (Acts 2:42 KJV) Many well-meaning Bible believing Christians have endeavored to re-create the early church by applying this verse, and its four imperatives to their own group of Jesus-followers. 

    A very important fact needs to be pointed out about these four imperatives which provided a framework for "the church to be the church." For it is a fact that these four imperatives are four definite articles of the early church and are the very articles that the Church has been framed around since Pentecost!

    The Greek New Testament gives us insight into exactly how the early church lived out its new life in the Spirit. Each of these four imperatives, in the Greek, are preceded by the definite article "the".  Acts 2:42 should read, "And they continued steadfastly in THE apostles' doctrine and THE fellowship, and in THE breaking of bread and THE prayers." There are four definite articles that make up the superstructure of the Pentecostal Church, which is another way of saying the One True Church of Christ, the Church which was born on the Day of Pentecost.
    The first imperative: The Jesus-followers were to be devoted to growing in the knowledge of those teachings that the Apostles were articulating, which they had received from Jesus and the Holy Spirit. All other teachings must be scrutinized in the light of THE Apostles' doctrine. There was a definite body of truth, that is, Apostolic teaching, that the new believers were catechized in. The second imperative: These Pentecostal Christians were to continually be devoted to THE fellowship (koinonia, Greek), that is the communal life of the body of Christ, the Church. This would include most especially the gathering together for worship and extend to having all things in common so that not one member would be without their needs met. The third imperative: These early Christians were to be steadfastly participating in THE 'breaking of bread', that is partaking of the Holy Eucharist. Breaking of bread is a New Testament idiom for the Eucharist. They were to never "forsake the assembling of themselves together" to commune with God via the bread and the cup of blessing (Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17). The fourth imperative: These faithful disciples were to be wholly devoted to THE prayers. Not just a spontaneous prayer meeting where folks take turns praying extemporaneously but entering into THE prayers of the Church which had come to them from the synagogues and the temple. The very earliest Christians practiced these four imperatives in what could be called a Christian synagogue. They would offer the same prayers, sing the same Psalms, and read the same scriptures as their Jewish brothers, but with a Christified understanding of the "law of Moses, and the prophets, and the Psalms."
    These four definite articles should be the framework of each and every local church so that each church is truly complete, not lacking anything.
   
    

THE ROLE OF THE PASTOR

The role of the pastor is three-fold; to feed the flock, to lead the flock, and to protect the flock. (Acts  20:17-35; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

To feed the flock is to provide spiritual food, to declare all the counsel of God. The pastor must "study diligently" to  show himself approved unto God. The pastor must be a "workmen that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). So the teaching ministry of the pastor requires diligent study. The pastor must approach his study of the Word as a workmen, as one who hones his skill of handling the word of God, of rightly interpreting the scriptures (Hebrews 5:10-12; 1 Corinthians 4:1,2; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:1,2).

To lead the flock is to provide spiritual direction, firstly through the teaching ministry of the Word of God, and secondly as a priest for the flock as a whole and for individuals, to help them in their spiritual life. The entire fellowship is directed through the teaching ministry of the Word of God and the corporate spiritual practices that are set in place for building up of the entire body of Christ. The individual member is directed through an on-going relationship of confession, repentance, and prayer (James 5:16-20; 1 John 1:4-10).

To protect the flock is to identify false teachers that may arise from within the fellowship and the "grievous wolves" that would enter in (from the outside) among us, "not sparing the flock". The pastor must (1 Timothy 1:3-8) (1 Timothy 6:3-10) (2 Timothy 4:1-4) (2 Timothy 2:16-18) (Titus 3:9-11)protect his people from false doctrine.

The pastor must pray. He must keep his own "rule of prayer" diligently, taking heed to himself. Being careful to save himself so that others may be saved (1 Timothy 4:13-16). The pastor must intercede in prayer for each member of the fellowship, doing spiritual combat for the salvation of each member.

The pastor must "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5), spreading the seeds of the gospel everywhere he goes. And if God wills, he may be graced with the healing and miracle ministry of Philip the Evangelist (Acts 8:5-13; Acts 21:8). This is our prayer.

"Where are the men sent from God?"

THE HEALING OF OUR PASSIONS

These two passages of Scripture, Galatians 5:22 – 6:2 and Luke 6:17 – 23, are simply awesome in their power to illuminate our understanding concerning our struggle with the passions and our victorious transformation of them through a life in the Spirit; and how Jesus wants to heal us of our spiritual sicknesses, those very passions, addictions, and crippling infirmities, that imprison us. By walking in the Spirit we crucify the passions and evil desires, and they are transformed by the life of the Spirit into the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:9). The healing ministry of Jesus is a pictograph revealing to us a parallel between the sicknesses and physical maladies that Jesus healed, and the spiritual sicknesses, that is our passions in us, that are in need of healing. The sicknesses and demonic vexations that Jesus healed are metaphors for the healing of our passions, evil desires, and addictions. Have you ever noticed how we can be blind, in the dark because our spiritual eyes have cataracts or worse? Have you noticed how we can be deaf, our ears can’t hear the voice of God because of damaged eardrums from listening to the demonic frequencies of the world’s lies? Have you ever noticed how we want to do good, but our will is weak, crippled, like a withered hand? Have you ever noticed how we seem to be controlled by unseen forces? Have you ever noticed how we can be thrown into a fit of rage like someone with epilepsy? Have you ever noticed how we sense the wounds in our soul are bleeding, our life’s energy is seeping out of us? Have you ever felt paralyzed, unable to move because of bitterness or shame? Have you ever felt dead inside, lifeless, unfeeling, uncaring, unable to muster compassion; you are like a dead man walking? Jesus will heal you of all these spiritual diseases and conditions if you will cooperate with Him. As we become doers of Christ’s words we enter into communion with the Holy Trinity (John 14:15-26) resulting in our sanctification and deification. We are healed, that is, saved from our sins as we become partakers of God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:2-4).

WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENT?

    Jesus introduces us to the 'New Testament' during the Last Supper the evening before his crucifixion. We read Luke's account found in the gospel of Luke 22:19-20, "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Then again, in the gospel of Matthew 26:26-28 we read Matthew's account of the Last Supper, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 

    What we have revealed to us in these Scriptures is the institution of the Eucharist (Eucharistia in Greek, aka the Thanksgiving). We refer to this as Holy Communion, and it is known in the Orthodox Church as the Mystical Supper. The Apostle Paul teaches us in his first letter to the Corinthians, 10:16, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" Paul adds to this revelation of Holy Communion with Christ Jesus saying, "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (11:23-26). 
    The point I would like to make is that when Jesus introduces the reality of the new testament he does not say, "read this" or "study this", but he says "do this"! The New Testament is the eating of Christ's body, and the drinking of his blood. The New Testament is the Eucharist. Christian worship is to be centered upon the very command of Jesus himself when he said, "This do in remembrance of me." The New Testament was a sacrament (mystery) long before it ever started to become a document, according to the document. True worship, as found in the Ancient Faith of the Orthodox Church, is the foundation of the faith of Christ, not the Bible. And it is the bible that reveals this! You may want to ask yourself, "Why is the collection of twenty seven books, that we call the New Testament, called the New Testament?" It is because of their proximity to the Eucharist, that is, the New Testament! The Scriptures are guiding us into the heart of the Church. And what we discover when we arrive is the Eucharist, which is the actual communion of human beings with the undivided Holy Trinity; the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

SAINT PAUL'S FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY - A QUICK COMMENTARY

“How to read the Bible” is an important question that should be asked by all serious disciples of Jesus. There truly is an “art and science” to reading the Scriptures. It is a science because there are certain laws that govern its interpretation. And there is an art to reading the Scriptures because the more you practice, the better you can do it.

Like any book within the canon of Scripture, we must concern ourselves with “context”. Who is writing to whom, when, where, and why are they writing, what is the historical setting that the book is written in, etc. First Timothy is a pastoral epistle of the Apostle Paul written to his son “in the Faith”, Timothy, who was the Bishop of Ephesus. (There are three pastoral epistles of the Apostle Paul: 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus.) These three pastoral epistles are descriptive of “the institutional aspects of the church.”But always keep in mind that the "Church" is not an institution, but a mystical reality that has institutions for earthly order.

Chapter 1: Paul, writing to Timothy (Bishop of the church at Ephesus), establishes the profound importance and significance of “sound doctrine”, aka. “The Faith” (1:2). “The Faith” springs from “God the Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord” (1:2). Paul warns Timothy to not “give heed” to teachings that generate “questioning” (doubting), and controversies. The teaching focus of the Church should be “sound doctrine" (1:10) which is based upon “The Faith”, which edifies the church members in a life of charity, purity of heart, and a good conscience (1:4, 5). As in Paul and Timothy’s day, there are today those people “desiring to be teachers” who have swerved (wandered) from sound doctrine unto “vain jangling”, who mishandle the word of God. Paul refers to “sound doctrine” in verse 10 which can be equated with “Holy Tradition” (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6), and with “The Faith” (Jude 3). The question to ask oneself is, “What is the “Faith” that Paul is speaking of, and “What are the “traditions” that Paul is speaking of?” The details of the “sound doctrine” are not spelled out in the text definitively, but it is understood that the Bishops have knowledge of the “sound doctrine.” The church inculcates the fullness of the Faith, even though the Bible does not give the details. Paul closes out his introductory remarks to Timothy with a Trinitarian doxology (1:17), and then makes it abundantly clear to Timothy that he is at war with false doctrine, and those false teachers who propagate unsound doctrine.

Chapter 2: Paul uses his introduction on the preeminence of sound doctrine as a spring board into the activities of the “institutional church” (1 Timothy 3:15). Jesus had said, “I will build my church”, and Paul revealed by the Spirit that the Church would have foundations, that is, the church would be “built upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). In verses 1 – 8 Paul gives God’s design for public worship, “First of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made…”: that all men “be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth” (2:4). God desires that the entire church pray in one accord (2:8). Verses 9-15 continue the theme of public worship with directions on modest apparel, and how women are to relate to their husbands in the context of the church. A question you may want to ask is, “Do we as a church pray together in one accord for the needs of the world?”In the Orthodox Church this is definitely a fact revealed in "the Great Litany." Over 40 years visiting Evangelical and/or Charismatic churches, and I have never witnessed intercession in one accord for the world and its needs. If church is invented "on the fly" it departs from the divine order prescribed by Holy Scripture. If you are an Evangelical pastor you may want to borrow "the Great Litany" for your congregation to pray.

Chapter 3: Paul reveals that the basic form of church government is founded in “offices” of ordained ministry, that is, the “offices” of bishop (3:1-7), and deacon (3:8-13). A bishop (episkopos = overseer in Greek) is to be the recognized (ordained) pastor/teacher/priest of the local church, meaning the church that resides in a particular city or countryside. FYI, each local church possesses the fullness of Christ. This is what is meant by the word “catholic” as found in the Nicene Creed. Catholic means universal in the sense that each local church everywhere, and for all time is complete in Christ, and possesses the fullness of truth as Jesus is the head of the church, which is his body (Ephesians 1:19-22). This hierarchy of church leadership is the very thing that leads the believers in a community (like Ephesus) to be in divine order. The gathering of the believers in a locale is “the house of God”, “the church of the living God”, which is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (3:15). The Church is catholic when it possesses the fullness of truth. This usage of the term “catholic” has no connection with the Roman Catholic Church.
    An important sidebar here is the topic of “truth.” The church is to be the foundation of “the truth.” And those who stand in the “office’ of “bishop” are responsible to "rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
    In verse 16 of chapter 3 Paul cascades from the churches responsibility to be the “pillar and ground of the truth”, into what the truth is, by quoting part of an ancient Christian credal hymn that clearly expresses the divinity of Jesus. Other such creeds are found in 1 Timothy 6:15; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Ephesians 1:3-14; Ephesians 5:14; Philippians 2:6-11; and Colossians 1:15-20. Creeds have been a part of the Church from the very beginning. The Apostles Creed was an early baptismal creed. The Nicene Creed has been confessed in churches weekly since the 4^th century. A question you may ask is, ’Should a church have credal hymns whereby the saints can confess their mutual faith?” For my Evangelical friends, I think the practice of the Ancient Church confessing the Faith in unison via a creed, for 2000 years, is proof enough of its proper status as integral to divine worship.

Chapter 4: Here, in verses 1-10, Paul challenges Timothy (and all future bishops/pastors-priests/deacons) to do spiritual battle for the truth against the heretics and their seductive doctrines. A question you may ask is, “Is it biblical to reduce the Christian Faith to “Jesus only” with no regard for “sound doctrine”, the essentials of “The Faith”, or “knowledge of the truth?” The answer should be self-evident.
    The historical context in which Paul is writing to Timothy sees the spiritual landscape full of sects teaching a myriad of heresies, of which Timothy was responsible to expose, and to withstand with sound doctrine. He was to war for the truth (1:18) against “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” These first century sects propagated Greek Gnosticism, and Jewish myths that communicated non-Christian views of God, Christ, humanity, and the world (cosmos).
    In verses 11-16 Paul exhorts Timothy to accept his responsibility to both, “command and teach” the people under his oversight. Verse 12 reveals that the content of his spiritual life should parallel his teaching. Verse 13 introduces us to God’s design for “public worship” (The NIV gives some sound commentary I think – “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture”). Following the reading of Scripture is preaching and teaching. It should be remembered that for centuries Christians did not possess their own copies of the Bible. The Bible was read systematically as a part of corporate worship. This practice produced the lectionaries that provide daily and weekly readings of the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Gospels and the Epistles. A question you may ask is, “Is a church service complete without public reading of Scripture?” In verse 16 Paul challenges Timothy to “take heed” to himself, that is, his own spiritual life, AND to “the doctrine.” It is “the doctrine” that will save (preserve) both Timothy and his congregation from the “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

Chapter 5: In verses 1-16 Paul provides guidance for the church as concerns relationships within the family of God (Ephesians 3:14, 15). We are instructed to relate to older men as fathers, to older women as mothers, to younger men as brothers, and to younger women as sisters. Widows are to be cared for by immediate family. If no family exists the widows then become the responsibility of the church community if they meet the qualifications. A question to be asked is, “Are we as the church functioning as family?”
    In verses 17-25 Paul, again in the context of church polity, instructs Timothy in what way the members are to relate to those in leadership positions (those who would have had hands laid on them in ordination – Acts 14:23). Elders (Presbuteros in Greek): From the Greek comes the word presbytery, which means elders. Historically, presbyter was shortened to “prest” which gave way to the word “priest”. Originally, the local church had one bishop supported by numerous deacons. As a local church would grow in numbers, and the need for ministers grew, the bishop would ordain elders (priests) who would represent the bishop to the people. Church government has borne this form since the beginning; Bishop, priests (elders), deacons, and the people (laity), which share the priesthood with the elders/priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9). Paul guides that elders who rule well should be given double honour, “especially those who labor in the word and doctrine”; the material needs of the elders should be taken care of by the congregation (1 Corinthians 9:7-14); there are procedures in place for confronting elders; and ordination of elders should be a cautious process.

Chapter 6: Here we note that Paul instructs Timothy “how to teach” so that “God’s doctrine be not blasphemed” (6:1). All teaching should be judged firstly, in the light of the very teachings of Jesus Himself as recorded in the four gospels, and secondly all teachings should be scrutinized as to whether they contradict “the doctrine which is according to godliness” (6:3). Does the teaching lend to godly development, or does it feed worldly desires? Paul hones in on the subject of “mammon” (money, possessions, and things – see Matthew 6:19-24 and Mark 4:19). Paul chooses “mammon” as the proto-example of true teaching versus false teaching. Paul excoriates the false teacher as being “destitute of the truth”. Never let it be said that a pastor-teacher is destitute (poverty stricken) of the truth. Truth matters. A question that may be asked about a church is, “As a church do we desire truth, are we filling the people with truth?”
    In verses 13 – 16 Paul magnifies the divinity of Jesus again calling Him, “Lord”, and revealing that at His second coming He will be revealed as “the King of kings, and Lord of lords.” It should be noted that God (the Father) is distinct from the person of Jesus. And finally, Paul, in verses 20 and 21, reiterates that it is “The Faith” (6:21) that all teachings in the church should be scrutinized in light of. “The Faith” is what was committed to Timothy’s trust, and it is “The Faith” by which Timothy should judge any and all profane doctrines, vain babblings, and pseudo-science such as evolutionary theory.

The KJV versus the NIV (and other modern translations): Please take into consideration when studying the Bible in the English language that all Bible translations are not created equal. 1 Timothy is a classic example of the distortion that can take place when a translation is done poorly, or simply made to read easily with little knowledge of historical context, or done by people with an evil agenda. Since the late 1970’s The NIV has replaced the KJV as the Bible of choice in Bible-believing churches. My observation is that this reality has led to a dumbing down of the American church. I would strongly recommend that my brothers and sisters would begin to labor in the KJV or the RSV for both personal study, and teaching ministry; while using the NIV as a commentary for added insight. The original NIV (1978) is more reliable than the newer NIV's.

THE MEANING OF MARANATHA

Maranatha comes to us from the language of Jesus, Aramaic. It is a two-word Aramaic formula that was transliterated into Greek as Maranatha and which was not translated into English. You can find Maranatha used by St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians 16:22. The word can have a double meaning depending on how the greek word Maranatha is parsed. If we read it as Maran - atha it means "Our Lord has come" and is thus used as a creedal statement, a statement of faith as is written in 1 Corinthians 12:3 and Romans 10:9 - Jesus is Lord. If we read it as Marana - tha it reads as a command, "Lord, Come". Or as it is written in Revelation 22:20 in response to Jesus promise to come quickly, "Even so, Come, Lord Jesus". From this understanding we see that the word was meant to have a double meaning; "The Lord has come" and "Come, Lord Jesus" or "The Lord is Coming Again".

In the early church "Maranatha" was a watchword used as a greeting to remind one another that the Lord has come, and that the Lord is coming again. Simultaneously "Maranatha" is a greeting and a prayer. "Maranatha" is a word of encouragement and a bold declaration of triumphant faith and eternal hope - Jesus is coming!

In the early days of Christianity believers lived under adverse conditions of persecution, even martyrdom. The believer’s faith was energized by the hope of the coming again of Jesus. They were reminded that the Lord Jesus would be returning from heaven to establish His kingdom forever. From this Gospel truth the believers drew great comfort.

Today, we live on the brink of the revealing of the Antichrist, the son of perdition, that Wicked one whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, whose use of super deceptions will bring a great delusion upon the earth that even the Elect could believe the lie and fall away. Already many antichrists roam the globe spawning philosophies and religions contrary to the Truth of Jesus the Messiah and Savior of the world. In the face of these ominous end time realities we take heart in the knowledge of Jesus's promises to come again to judge the living and the dead and to create a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness, and peace forever. Shout Maranatha!

Let us reclaim this mighty greeting and prayer proclamation - MARANATHA - May all the believers of Greensburg and the surrounding countryside have this powerful word upon their lips. MARANATHA! MARANATHA! MARANATHA!