1. Early Church Practice: Descriptive or Prescriptive?
الخطوط العريضة للقسم
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Early Church Practices: Descriptive or Prescriptive?
Please note that this mini-course was formerly called Apostolic Traditions.
By Stephen E. Atkerson
There are really only two ways to “do” church:
1) The way the apostles originally did it.
2) sSme other way (you could join Frank Sinatra in crooning, “I did it my way”!).
Premise: Jesus equipped the first-century church with an ecclesiology designed to help Christians obey all that He commanded. The Apostles modeled these practices for us in the way they set up churches. The practice of the early church is not merely described; it is actually prescribed. Therefore, adopting the ecclesiology of the Apostles better allows the Spirit to create love, unity, community, and commitment in a body of believers.
It is impossible to play baseball in a forest. You can’t play it on a basketball court, either. You could play it on a football field, but the best place is on an actual baseball field. So too with making disciples; the best way is on the playing field of early church practice. Following early church practice is not a substitute for the hard work of disciple making. What it will do is put you in a better position to intentionally and personally make disciples.
Course Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand why it matters how we do church
- Understand the best church framework for effective disciple making
- Understand how you can be imbued with empowerment, wisdom, supernatural enrichment, spiritual significance, and success in ministry by following the traditions of Jesus’ apostles
- Understand how to avoid a hurtful ecclesiology that ignores Jesus and his apostles
- Understand how Jesus knew the purpose of the church and how the apostles intentionally followed Jesus’ commands when they planted churches
- Understand that apostolic pattern is prescription, not mere description.
ForumsPost in the five assigned forums. You will get a completion check indicating you have posted reflections. Also, we encourage you to read and engage with the comments of others.
Quiz
After you complete viewing the materials and posting your reflections, there is a feedback quiz. The quiz will help us evaluate the effectiveness of the mini-course.
Content Provider
This course is provided by New Testament Renewal Fellowship (NTRF.org)"For over thirty years, NTRF has provided church leaders in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania with resources and training in how the early church met together in community. The essential tenets of the faith to which we subscribe are identical to those found in the doctrinal statements of any sound evangelical institution. Our favorite statement of faith is the First London Baptist Confession of 1646. We advocate historic, orthodox Christianity poured into the wineskin of New Testament church practice as seen on the pages of Scripture. Our goal is to be Christ honoring and thoroughly biblical in every area concerning our church life."
Watch New Testament patterns video → click here
Read New Testament patterns article → click here
Listen to New Testament patterns audio → click here
Request your free book on early church practice → click here
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ينبغي للطلبةطرح منشورات في المنتدى: 1
Based on video time stamp 00:00-09:03, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1. Thinking back on your experience in church, please describe the aspects of your church or churches with which you have been involved. Which features were based upon denominational or modern ecclesiastical traditions, and which aspects of your church practice were based upon apostolic pattern, apostolic practice, and apostolic traditions found in the pages of Scripture. Also, give a separate description of which aspects of your previous church or churches were based upon explicit apostolic commands.
2. Do you share the widespread opinion that church practice is an optional matter of “freedom,” or do you think there is a scripturally-guided way to plant and function in churches? Please fully back up your answer.
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Forum Posting Assignment #2 منتدى
Please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond, based on time markers 09:04 to 14:39 in the video on Apostolic Traditions.
1. Give reasons why it would be logical to follow the apostles’ traditions in matters of church practice.
2. How might the well-known architectural maxim that “form follows function” apply to church practice?
3. Please list and write out two Scriptures which show that apostles had a logical strategy, and also had design standards, when they established their churches. Underline the key portions of the scriptures which illustrate this point.
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ينبغي للطلبةمعاينة
Please watch this video from 14:40 - 18:03.
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Forum Posting Assignment #3 منتدى
Based on this video, time stamp 14:40 - 18:03, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1a. Paul commanded: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Phlp 4:9). In your view, what about Paul’s life or practice should have been followed by the Philippians?
1b. How does Paul’s word “whatever” help you decide the answer to the previous question?
2a. According to Philippians 4:9, would was the reward for putting into practice all that they had received from Paul?
2b. What are the implications for church practice?
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ينبغي للطلبةمعاينة
Please watch this video from 18:04 - 25:10.
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Forum Posting Assignment #4 منتدى
Based on this video, time stamps 09:04 to 14:39, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1. Paul praised the Corinthian church: “Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.” (1Co 11:2a). Based on the greater context, what "traditions" did Paul have in mind?
2. In 1 Corinthians 11:2 (quoted above), what is the significance of the word “traditions” being plural?
3. 1 Corinthians 11:2 Paul begins a four-chapter section on ecclesiology. In 1 Corinthians 11-14 what various church traditions does Paul mention that he praised the Corinthians for following?
4. In 1 Corinthians 11:2 Paul did not praise the Corinthians for maintaining his teachings, rather he praised them for maintaining his traditions. What is the difference between a teaching (διδαχή, didaché) and a tradition (παράδοσις, paradosis)?
5. Paul told the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11:2 “I commend you because you ... maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.” In your view what did Paul mean by the phrase “even as”?
6. In the New Testament, the word “traditions” is sometimes used with a negative connotation, and sometimes it is used with a positive connotation. Please explain the difference in usage.
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Forum Posting Assignment #5 منتدى
Based on this video, time markers 25:11-31:24, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1. What in Paul's reasoning in 1 Corinthians 11:16 reveals that Paul expected his traditions to be followed universally in the Christian church, and not merely followed locally in Corinth?
2. Please explain how 1 Corinthians 14:34b-34 shows that Paul expected his traditions to be followed universally in the Christian church, and not merely followed locally in Corinth.
3. How does 1 Corinthians 14:36 indicate that Paul expected his traditions to be followed universally in the Christian church, and not merely followed locally in Corinth?
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Forum Posting Assignment #6 منتدى
Based on this video, timestamp 31:25-36:51, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1. Paul instructed the Thessalonian church to “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us” (2Th 2:15). Discuss whether the word traditions here refers to Paul’s teachings, Paul’s practice, or both (consider the context of the verse, the Greek, as well as the grammar of the verse, in order to inform your answer).
2. Paul told the Thessalonian church in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 (ESV) “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us.” Discuss whether Paul’s instructions for the Thessalonian church was something he wished for the church but didn’t expect to be carried out, or something he offered the church as an option, or something that he expected to be obeyed. Refer to the grammar of the verse in order to answer.
3. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 (ESV) “... keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” Does the word “tradition”, as used here, refer to Paul’s traditional teaching, or Paul’s traditional practice, or both? Give reasons for your answer.
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Forum Posting Assignment #7 منتدى
Based on this video, timestamp 36:52-40:13, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1. Even if Paul expected his original readers to imitate his practices, that does not necessarily mean that we are commanded to follow his practices today. In your view, are his practices normative and obligatory for the modern Christian, or are they merely suggestions that the modern church may try to see if they work? (Please do not discuss Paul’s teaching as you answer this question.)
2. Please use your experience to describe modern day church practices that are carried out because of man-made (not apostolic) traditions.
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ينبغي للطلبةمعاينة
Please watch this video from 40:14 - 47:48.
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Forum Posting Assignment #8 منتدى
Based on this video, time marker 40:14-47:48, please respond to each of the prompts, numbering your answers to correspond.
1. In what ways is the practice of the Lord’s Supper today different from apostolic tradition regarding communion?
2. In what ways are today’s weekly church meetings out of sync with apostolic tradition for church gatherings?
3. How is church leadership today as practiced today out of accord with apostolic tradition for decision making?
4. How is the size of the modern-day megachurch at variance with apostolic tradition for congregational size?
5. What are the ramifications if the modern Christian decides not to follow apostolic tradition?
Click here to get your complimentary copy of our book, Rediscover Early Church Practice.
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