(Not a reader? Take a listen instead ⇓)

It can be tempting to view the early first-century church in rather glowing terms – a ‘golden age’ of church history when the believers were all-in, the church totally had it together, and the believers shared all things in common. I’ve heard Acts 2:42 touted as somewhat of a touchstone for church authenticity, with a revival of these (implied: blissful, albeit persecuted) glory days being the true mark of genuine Christian living.

And there’s no doubt that something miraculous did occur in those first heady days of the church. How 12 demoralised and terrified disciples were transformed into confident, articulate evangelists and leaders can only be a work of the supernatural; the intervention of the Spirit of God, combined with the sure knowledge of the truthfulness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

How thousands of ordinary men and women, living in the shadow of the greatest empire the world had ever seen, were not only receptive to the message about Jesus Christ, but convicted of their guilt and need for him, confessing their sins, turning to God, and being baptised in that same name is nothing short of incredible.

The world was turned upside down; reordered and rearranged, with Jesus proclaimed as king and thousands confessing that truth and bowing the knee, despite the threat of persecution, imprisonment, and even death. The church of Christ was born, against all odds, and grew and flourished, against all odds, and each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

But right from the beginning the church was flawed, as  Jesus always knew she would be, and she has been flawed ever since; a living, breathing contradiction.

On one hand, she is otherworldly, empowered by the supernatural; transformative and inspiring, a living witness to the reality and power of resurrection. On the other hand, she is compromised, earthly, at times a feckless and faithless bride-to-be, who, forgetting her first love, seeks affection and affirmation from others.

At times, she has colluded with the powers of this world, exchanging her birthright for what amounts to a mess of pottage. And at other times she has stood resolute, a solitary light burning brightly in a very dark world.

As John Dickson puts it in his extraordinary and fascinating book, the church has been both bully and saint throughout her long history, and sometimes she has been both at the same time.

JOHN WRITES SOME LETTERS

The Christian message spread quickly throughout the empire and, by AD90 or thereabouts, at least seven churches of significance had been established in what is now western Turkey, the area known as Asia Minor. Only a generation removed from the greatest event the world had ever seen and yet even these churches already showed the extremes that would characterise the Christian identity for centuries afterwards.

John, known by historians as John the Elder, was exiled to the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, for, in his own words, preaching the word of God and for his testimony about Jesus. It is while on this island that John sees a vision, a man standing in the middle of seven golden lampstands, with eyes like flames of fire and a voice like mighty oceans. He tells John that he is ‘the first and the last, the living one who holds the keys of death and the grave.’

“Write“, the man instructs John, “Write down what you have seen and what these things mean, the things that have already begun to happen and the things that will still happen.“

Further, John is to write seven letters, one for each church in Asia Minor, containing a message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven lampstands.

What follows is both insight and warning, commendation and condemnation. It will be a moment captured in time yet these observations about the church will remain true for all time, throughout all her years to come and amidst all her battles with culture and secular pressure.

1. To Ephesus, he writes:

It’s not enough just to hate that which is evil, nor only to suffer for it. You must also cling to that which is good. You must love God with every fibre of your being as you did at the first, and you must love one another. Love God, love people. It’s so easy to harden by degrees, to become so firm and intractable against evil, so diligent for truth that one can forget, amid all that fortitude, to love, to be empowered by the knowledge that it was love that freed you, love which is the first and greatest command and that it is love that will last forever. Without love, you are nothing.

Repent and turn again, do the works that you did from the beginning, whose motivating force was love, not hate.

2. To Smyrna, he writes:

Don’t be afraid. Remember when I was still with you I told you that in this world you would have trouble? The devil roams around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour and destroy. But I have overcome this world, I have defeated the prince of darkness, and so will you, if you remain faithful. Even if you face death in this world, whoever is faithful will be victorious and will not be harmed by the second death. I was dead, but now I’m alive and I live forevermore. Because of me, you’ll live too.

You may think you are poor and that you suffer, and indeed, in this world, you may endure terrible things for my name’s sake. But I want to remind you of the riches you are inheritors of, in my name, and by the shedding of my own blood. Look to me – I am holding a crown of life, reserved for you from my Father. Courage, dear hearts.

3. To Pergamum, he writes:

Your loyalty is astounding. You have refused to deny me, despite the threat of exile or execution, even in the face of martyrdom, and all the while living under the shadow of the empire. Your hearts have remained constant, even as you watched your very own bishop, my faithful witness, burn like a candle in Satan’s city.

And yet you compromise on truth. You tolerate among you those whose teachings are leading your people into religious and moral sin. While love is everything, love without truth is nothing at all.

I am the word of truth, the two-edged sword, piercing through soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Repent of your sin, or I will come against you suddenly to fight against those deceivers and liars.

4. To Thyatira, he writes:

I know you and I see myself in you. Your love, your faith, your patient endurance, your service to one another, your vision and passion to keep growing in these things, and your desire to hold tightly to that precious hope that you have received. You love me and I love you; you are my people.

But why are you allowing this prophet, who is no prophet at all, to teach and preach among you, claiming that sexual immorality and idol worship are acceptable when offered in my service? These are the dark and evil ways of pagan gods, of those living in darkness. You have been called out of darkness, into my glorious light. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. I have given your false prophet time to repent and she refuses; I will no longer overlook her sin, nor those who collaborate with her. I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.

But to you who have not followed this false teaching, I ask nothing more from you than that you hold fast in faithfulness. I promise you, I am coming soon.

5. To Sardis, he writes:

Wake up, wake up! Your lamps are growing dim and your oil is running out.

You only have a little remaining and even now that light grows weak and faint, and is in danger of being extinguished. You think that you are healthy, and whole, and flourishing, yet your garments are stained with evil and you are little more than a corpse. Faith without deeds is dead and you have separated the body from the very source of life which would empower it. Repent and turn to me again – you proclaim yourselves unworthy of the name to which you hold.

Yet not all of you have been faithless. You are mine, faithful friends, and you will walk with me in white, for you have shown yourselves worthy.

6. To Philadelphia, he writes:

You are the ones I love. You only have a little strength but you used all of it to obey my word and did not deny me. I have confessed you before my Father and I tell you again, whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. I have taken you for my very own and I will protect you from the great time of trouble that is soon to come upon the world. There is laid up for you a crown of life; continue to hold fast so that no one will take away your crown.

What I open, no one can close, and what I close, no one can open. Continue to put your confidence in me and you’ll not be disappointed.

7. To Laodicea, he writes:

Your indifference breaks my heart. You have so much possibility, so much you are capable of. I have placed eternity in your hearts, and yet you settle for mediocre. You are neither hot nor cold. I wish you would choose one or the other. Any decision is better than no decision at all.

You think you are rich and yet you flatter yourselves. You are poor; poor and naked and blind, desperately in need of ointment for your blindness and clothing for your nakedness. Your religiosity reminds me of the days long since past, of festivals and assemblies that were a stench to my nostrils. I do not accept them. I will have no regard for them. I despise this kind of religion.

Because you are merely lukewarm; fence-sitters, peacekeepers, colluders, I would spit you out of my mouth. Yet hear me now: I disciple all those I love and my criticism is proof of my love for you. So be diligent. Turn again from your indifference and return to me, your first love.

Lessons From The Seven Churches

Jesus is the light of the world and his kingdom, a kingdom of light.

Confessing that Jesus is the Christ joins us to that kingdom of light (1 John 18:22). When we join that kingdom, we have fellowship with the Father and with His Son (1 John 1:7). Because of this, we also have fellowship with others who are walking in that light that Jesus shines. Together, we have fellowship in his name.

These ‘people of the kingdom’ are Christians – Jesus’ disciples – bound together by the blood of the king. They are his church, both revealed and still hidden, and only truly known to the king.

John’s Book of Revelation describes them as scattered lampstands of light. Then, they were found throughout Asia Minor but now, these lampstands can be found all over the world, shining the light of Jesus and his glory throughout the earth. He is the source of light by which they shine and his love is their defining mark. But now, as then, they are imperfect, flawed, both compelling and contradictory.

What do we learn from these seven messages to seven churches in the first century?

We learn that both faithfulness and faithlessness can exist within the same church. We learn that neighbouring churches can differ in their fervour and resolve. We learn that no church has ever had it completely sorted and that no church was ever entirely awful. Every church has areas of strength but also areas that need improvement and renovation.

We learn that Jesus walked among them. He was their judge, he was their king, he was their first love and it was to him that they answered. It is to him, still, that the church answers, to him she owes her allegiance, he is the lifeblood and heartbeat of her identity.

And we learn that the Spirit moves still, blowing like the wind, hovering like a bird, illuminating the way like a flame in the darkness, imploring those who would have ears to hear to listen to His declaration:

Those who are victorious, those who overcome will shine like the stars in heaven, crowned with life and never to be harmed by the second death. Their names will be written in the Book of Life and a new name will be given to them, engraved on stones as white as snow. They will have authority and power, ruling over the nations with the same authority as God Himself, and to them will be given the bright and morning star for an everlasting inheritance. They will eat from the fruit of the tree of life, taste of the manna hidden away in heaven, and they will become pillars in the great temple of the God of all the earth. They will sit on the throne with the Alpha and Omega Himself, and proclaim: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,  and He will reign forever and ever. Amen”. 

Love Well.

Have Courage.

Seek Truth.

Keep The Faith.

Shine Brightly.

Trust Always.

Be Intentional.

(Not a reader? Take a listen instead ⇓)

 

Christianity in the first century was a spiritual explosion, fueled by the reality of the resurrection of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Jewish community, who lived and worshipped largely by themselves, Christians were active evangelists, eager to share the good news about Jesus with all who would listen. They preached Jesus everywhere, not just as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, but as Lord, Saviour, and King; over and above Caesar.

Initially planted in the soil of Jerusalem, the gospel message soon spread rapidly beyond Israel; throughout Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the Mediterranean world. In as little as just over 10 years after Jesus’ resurrection, Christianity had already reached as far as Rome itself. As Jesus had promised, his disciples were to be his witnesses, even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, Acts 2:41-47).

The area of Asia Minor was a huge melting pot of ethnicities and also one of the first areas to flourish with converts to the new religion of Christianity. It was also part of the expansive Roman Empire, at the height of its glory, and was therefore subject to Roman law and Roman customs.

Living in the shadow of the Empire would prove a difficult tension for Christians to navigate. No longer giving allegiance to Caesar as ‘Lord of the earth’ but instead confessing that this title belonged to Jesus Christ, how were they to behave as people in the world but not of it?

As citizens of heaven, did the laws of Rome no longer apply to them?

And, as people of the kingdom, how were they to live out the values of the kingdom in the society around them? Were they justified in using force to make the kingdoms of this world the kingdom of the Lord and Christ?

These are all important questions, not just for those in the first-century church but for every generation of Christians who have come after them.

How should Christians conduct themselves, living in the shadow of the Empire?

A Letter From Peter, An Apostle Of Jesus Christ

The importance of the way a Christian behaves so as to be a credible witness for the gospel is a significant principle emphasised throughout the New Testament. It’s a theme picked up by Peter the Apostle in his first letter to the early churches (1 Peter 1-5).

Discouraged by the persecution they were suffering because of their faith, Peter writes to the early churches throughout Asia Minor to encourage them and to provide wisdom and counsel in their response to the pressures around them and in their life of Christian witness.

Keep Your Conduct Honourable

Firstly, Peter urges them, keep your conduct honourable. They are holy people, called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light. Walking in the light means walking humbly alongside God, doing justly and loving kindness. Deceit, malice, hypocrisy, slander, drunkenness, sensual living; these are all fruitless deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11) and Peter encourages the church to choose differently, to live exemplary lives in their neighborhoods so that their actions will refute pagan prejudices (1 Peter 2:11-12).

They had been born again, by the living and imperishable Word of God, new creations guarded through faith for a salvation that would one day be revealed to all. Demonstrating lives that paralleled what they preached would witness to the truly supernatural power of the gospel and its ability to effect transformation.

Respect And Submit To Authority

For the Lord’s sake, Christians were to show respect to all people and, particularly, to those in authority. They were to be model citizens, subject to every human institution (1 Peter 2:13). As Jesus the master had made clear during his earthly ministry, render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.

Their allegiance to Jesus wasn’t an excuse to engage in illegal behaviours, disrespect of their masters, or dishonour of the Emperor or his delegates. Pay your taxes, submit to the laws of the land, pray for those who have the rule over you.

They were to treat their service to the Emperor, their master (if they were a slave), and indeed each other as service rendered to the King himself.

The Christian life wouldn’t always bring blessing, and the persecution and suffering they were currently experiencing were proof of this reality. Yet Peter encourages them to look to the example of Jesus himself, who demonstrated that the kingdom of heaven advances not through power and might, but through missions of mercy, kindness, and humility and, ultimately, through suffering.

The greatest suffering of all brought about the greatest victory for all (1 Peter 4:13-14).

Love Earnestly And Do Good

They were to love each other earnestly. This was the defining mark of those who belonged to the King and it was how the world was to know they were his disciples.

Given to hospitality, they were to love with open hearts and generous lives. They were to live bright and unafraid: remembering that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it. They were to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to doing good to all and especially to those of the household of faith (1 Peter 1:22, Galatians 6:10). Love and do good to others just as Jesus has loved you. By this, all people will know you are his disciples.

Early Christianity found particular expression through philanthropy; care for the poor, widows, and orphans, for those brethren who had been imprisoned or condemned, and particularly for brethren, who due to poverty, could not afford an honourable burial. The early church would often provide services for such persons, believing care in death as well as life was an active expression of love. The early Christian insistence on caring for those made in the image of God transformed the ancient world.

In The World But Not Of It

“The Christian ideal is not freedom from work, but strength to do it; not freedom from temptation, but power to overcome it; not freedom from suffering, but joy in an abiding sense of the Father’s love; not absence from the world, but grace to make the world better for our presence; not holy lives driven from the world, and living apart from it, but holy lives spent in the world and leavening it.” – Ellicott’s Commentary For English Readers.

Like our early Christian brethren, we too continue to live in the shadow of the Empire. We too must wrestle with issues of allegiance, to show submission to those institutions and ordinances which have authority over us, yet not be conformed to this world in the process.

We may think this requires us to limit our interaction with the people around us or remove ourselves ‘from the world’, but this isn’t what scripture is concerned with. It’s the ruler of this world who is our enemy, not those who are enslaved to him; those who, like us, have also been made in the image of God. They, too, desperately need the presence of Jesus in their lives, whether they know it or not and our Christian witness in this current world is vitally important.

Jesus’ prayer for his disciples was not that God would take them out of the world but that He would protect them from the evil one. We must not be conformed to the image of the ruler of this world, nor choose his way, a path that only leads back to darkness (John 12:31, 1 John 1:5-7). Jesus prayed for the protection of his followers, knowing we are left in this world for a specific purpose; to witness to the power of his saving name. “You are the salt of the earth,” he said, “you are the light of the world“.

Our commission is to live and work, to love and forgive, to mourn, trust, despair and hope alongside and together with our unbelieving neighbours and friends, all the while telling of the faithfulness of a good God and the hope found in the gospel message.

Our lives – our everyday, mundane, messy, uncomfortable, terrifying, joyful, and thoroughly human lives will be the greatest witness of all to the hope that lies within us.

How we conduct ourselves, as we live in the shadow of the Empire, is still just as relevant and important today as it was for our first-century brethren.

As Christians, we’re now citizens of a spiritual city whose builder and maker is God, people of a heavenly kingdom, living out the values and ideals of that kingdom in this earthly life.

Yet we’re also still literal citizens of the countries we live in. We still retain all the privileges that citizenship affords, together with the responsibilities it holds. Because we have given our primary allegiance to Jesus and, for the Lord’s sake, we’re to continue to submit to the laws and ordinances of the countries in which we live.

Christians have a greater not lesser responsibility to do good and model appropriate citizenship. We don’t get a leave pass to flout the regulations and laws passed by those in authority, just because we’re ‘not of this world.’ “It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules.” (1 Peter 2:13-17)

Yet, there must be a disclaimer at this point. We also have a responsibility – a greater responsibility, it can be argued – to model the values of the kingdom of heaven. This responsibility often highlights issues of injustice, prejudice or inequality which may exist both within the church and without, issues to which God is adamantly opposed and therefore we also should be opposed.

The Atlantic slave trade, which operated between the 15th and 19th centuries, might never have been abolished, had it not been for the public agitation of those who spoke vocally against a legally sanctioned practice and campaigned tirelessly for its elimination.

Two distinct laws passed in Nazi Germany provided the legal framework for the systematic persecution and resulting genocide of millions of Jews, demonstrating that sometimes doing what is lawful isn’t the same as doing what is right.

And in our own country of Australia between 1910 and 1970, at least 100,000 Aboriginal children were forcibly removed – stolen – from their parents and families as a result of various government policies, leaving a legacy of loss and trauma that persists today. The pain inflicted on an entire people through separation and forced assimilation was enabled by governmental law, regardless of the reality that it was morally repugnant to do so.

As Christians, the law cannot be our ultimate moral guide. Slavery was lawful. The holocaust was legal. Segregation and apartheid were legally sanctioned. Many of today’s laws are created to protect corporations rather than people. Simply put, the law does not dictate our ethics. God does. | Craig Greenfield

God’s values have the final word in our actions and this may mean, at some point, our choices or actions put us in conflict with the culture around us or the laws of the country in which we live. We submit, until, for conscience sake, we can no longer submit (Acts 5:29, Exodus 1:7).

The Covid-19 Pandemic

For Christians, times of trouble are opportunities to test and prove our own conviction; that there is One God who rules over all things and that we remain confident that He continues to do so, even through trouble and difficulty (Psalm 103:19, Daniel 2:21, Ephesians 4:6).

While the early Christians faced very different times of trouble than we do today, comparable only perhaps by how we choose to respond, our faithful response is no less necessary than theirs.

The ongoing crisis of Covid-19 is a troubling and anxious time. The most recent reports regarding the virus are particularly concerning, causing fear for many people, especially the elderly and vulnerable in our communities. Whilst we shouldn’t be ambivalent about what’s going on around the globe, we also need to be measured in our response and very careful not to be contributing to or escalating the level of panic that people may be experiencing.

It’s extremely disturbing that Christians would contribute to misinformation regarding both the virus and associated treatment options, particularly in the social domain. Many, in reality, are unlikely to be qualified to actually comment from a medical perspective, yet this doesn’t seem to prevent them from offering advice, suggestions, criticisms, or conjecture on the subject.

Verified medical information shared in responsible ways is helpful; unfactual, fear-inducing conspiracy theories are not. By all means, discuss the situation with those around you but choose to do so in responsible ways, with a view to banishing exaggerated fear.

Neither is it appropriate for Christians to participate in acts of disrespect or civil disobedience of those in authority, whilst current regulations don’t directly contradict God’s directives. We ought to instead continue to pray for wisdom and guidance in our own personal choices as well as for those in the difficult situation of accessing risks and making decisions on behalf of our nation.

Christians also have both a responsibility and a privilege to point the world’s attention to the One who is still in control of all. We can choose to positively redirect the conversation, to comfort people’s hearts and try to settle their fears, whilst still acknowledging the gravity of the current pandemic and assist in supporting practical measures to combat it.

There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God (Romans 13:1). We are to seek their welfare, to speak evil of no one, to respect the government and be law-abiding. If it is possible, as far as it depends on us, we’re to live at peace with everyone. (Titus 3:1-2, Jeremiah 29:7, Romans 12:18).

We need to continue to pray, worship and connect in all the ways that are possible to us right now. Most of all, we need to continue to point the people of the world to Jesus, who told his much-loved followers: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Trust in God and trust in me also” (John 14:1).

Convictions + Conduct

Our convictions and conduct go hand in hand. What we say and what we do must show itself to be in agreement.

“We don’t believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.” | Dallas Willard

If we believe that God is King of all the earth and remains sovereign still, then we must act in such a way that confirms this truth to the watching world.

We are to be thankful for those in authority and especially at a time like this, those in healthcare, who risk their own lives to treat and save others (1 Timothy 2:2). We need to remember to pray for them and assist where we can.

We ought to show responsibility in following the direction of the government and officials, acknowledging measured concern for the situation we all find ourselves in and abiding by recommendations for the good of everyone (1 Peter 2:13). Now, more than ever, is the time to show consideration and restraint and to lead the world by example. It is not the time (or ever!) for Christians to display greed or selfishness but to consider those who are our neighbour and to love them, as ourselves (Romans 13:8-10).

And, particularly, it is vitally important to consider those who are weak and vulnerable amongst our communities, who have always found a special place in God’s heart (James 1:27; Psalm 68:5).

We have opportunity right now, to remind the world of a good, good God, who is actively seeking to overthrow the effects of sin in the world and restore humanity to full relationship with Himself.

Even here, in times that seem very dark, God is still busy making all things new.

 

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I first wrote about the Christian response to the pandemic over a year ago, when things had really started to impact our communities. We’ve seen a lot happen around the world in that time and, recently, it seemed as if Australia had finally gotten a handle on things and life might be returning to normal.

I confess, I’ve not personally felt any real sense of fear throughout this situation until very recently, when the various mutant strains became more contagious and seemingly more virilent. The recent restrictions in Sydney give cause for concern and Covid-19 now feels very much on our doorstep. I had to intentionally take time this week to remind myself of my faith, my conviction that God is sovereign still and that the wind and waves still know His name. Through it all, my eyes must remain on Him.

At the same time as this was occurring, three events impacted me personally and I felt compelled to again write about the situation.

One was several shares in one week on social media of what can only be described as ‘doomsday’ commentaries; fear-inducing and based in theory, not fact.

The second was the illegal, unmasked gathering/protest that occurred in Sydney, which was also shared on social media (whether to criticise or congratulate I couldn’t say for sure, although it did appear to me to be in support of the protest).

The third was two different statements from Christian pastors within a denomination stating this: that if you chose to vaccinate, you weren’t faithful, and, that if you didn’t choose to vaccinate, you weren’t faithful. In my opinion, this kind of religious pressure, criticism or coercion about a very personal choice is completely irresponsible and amounts to spiritual abuse, especially from those in a pastoral position.

I was reminded again of the relevance and importance of the Christian faith in our world, to provide hope, comfort, and assistance to those who are struggling, fearful, or angry. And I was reminded of the example left for us in God’s Word, which seems to have an answer for every situation, of those in the early church who lived in the shadow of the Empire and navigated the same tensions with faithfulness and steadfast hope. We can learn a lot from them.

Pictured: Sculpture of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Emperor of Rome 24 January AD41 – 13 October AD54