To the apostles’ teaching

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

 

The situation in the early church which is shown in the Acts of the Apostles looks so different from what it is now. The appearances of church must have much changed until now over time and history. Even though, it would be desirable for the church to return to its original form described in the Bible. In the past, Jews crucified Jesus in the name of zeal for God. The message delivered by Peter and other apostles to the Jews was a fact that Jesus, who was crucified, had been made both Lord and Messiah. The crowd who heard the apostles’ testimony on Christ realized their faults and came to repent. And, they asked the apostles what and how have to do since now.

 

Because the current situation of the church, which has changed a lot from the past, there are times when pastors hesitate to teach the Bible. However it is fortunate even so that some pastors who are not bothered by the big church’s organization can perform preaching to their fullest according to one's conviction the Bible teaches. Like Gresham’s law, but as in the idiomatic sense, “Bad money drives out good,” unfortunately, the wrong aspects of this generation has been encroaching upon the right church which follows the Bible. Therefore, people who don’t know well what the truth Bible teaches misunderstand the looks of early church that they’re just not mature. But the Church of Christ, anytime in the future as well as in the past and present, will have to go forward according to the teachings of the Apostles in the Bible.

It’s true that external elements like the size and organization of modern churches are more advanced than in the past. So, some argue that world evangelization is almost complete and the church is mature, so now it has to take on social duties. And many churchgoers expect to take opportunities for social activities through the church rather than to believe by learning the essence of Christ’s gospel. Yet even though they attend the church for the purpose of personal development or any others, those personal aim or social activities would have to be had as the practice of faith after experiencing the salvation of Christ firstly. The Church of Christ, saying definitely, is a spiritual gathering of the believers Christ saved, than called a social group.

Peter the apostle replied to those who asked how to behave from now on. Peter’s answer was that “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What Peter said was God’s promise that commonly applies not only to Jews but also to the gentiles in distant countries. The baptism of repentance is the baptism of water, and forgiveness of sin is the special baptism of the Holy Spirit as the inner baptism of the soul. General mind of reflection and repentance is also by the Holy Spirit, but moreover a spiritual realization of the original sin is essential element for salvation. Since then, it is the ideal life of a Christian to live in Christ’s lessons, feeling the grace of the Holy Spirit fully. Peter was convinced that he was called by the Lord as an apostle for the Jews, but also he knew that the gospel of Christ was not limited to the Jews. Nationalistic or racial faith, these things have to be vigilant verily one way.

Peter the apostle referred to the society they live as the corrupt generation. It is not only the present generation we live that has been corrupt, but also it was in the past two thousand years ago, we see. From that, we can know a fact that man's spirituality is never evolve to be good. The development of human civilization is achieved through accumulated data and study, and human spirituality remains unchanged either in the past or now. Rather, according to population growth, and the lack of environmental resources inversely proportional to that, the egoistic struggles have gradually intensified time by time. Therefore, it has become almost impossible to find the pureness of the early church around us. But we shouldn’t just sit around and stare. It is evidently surprising that many who were taught by the apostles were baptized, and those that there were added to their number that day about three thousand. It is of course important that so many people have been baptized, but what their lives should become like in the future is even more important things.

 

They were taught by the apostles, and socialized with each other, and ate together, and tried praying with whole heart. Fellowship between members means communication within the Holy Spirit, and eating together means joint cooperation. And prayer refers to the actual life of faith that accompanies God, along with prostrating oneself before the altar and murmuring. Join forces in the Spirit of Christ and make a life of walking the way of God together. Then, through Christians, the world will gain hope and everything in life will be better.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on July 24th 2022)