The Christian Community

“And they persevered in the teaching of the apostles and in fellowship (…)” (Acts 2:42)

It is an important expression that we find here. It seems that "of the apostles" refers not only to doctrine, but also to community. So that you can also translate 'the teaching and fellowship of the apostles'.

Well, about the "teachings of the apostles" we were already talking here this page is about "the community of the apostles. But the two concepts are incredibly closely related.

But "doctrine" is the basis

What Christians maintain with each other is not just community. They don't belong together because they do all kinds of 'fun things' together; barbecue, play tennis or fish. No, they are a community because together they find their basis in the 'doctrine of the apostles'. That's what they have in common. Elsewhere we have already argued that "the doctrine of the apostles" implies two things: the Person of Christ and the Word of God. That's what was most important in life for everyone in the community. Loving the Lord Jesus and keeping His Word always go together, as the Lord Jesus Himself said (John 14:15,21,23). That should be the first and highest for every believing Christian.

The teaching of the apostles implies two things: the Person of Christ and the Word of God. This is the foundation of the Christian community.

It immediately makes two important things clear to us:

The Person of Christ and the Word of God are not "sold separately." If one of the two is missing in a community, spiritual death prevails.
The phrase "not doctrine, but the Lord" is a lie. You cannot follow Christ and love Him together and leave the Word of God close or consider it less important.

The gospel was preached, people joyfully accepted it, were baptized and “added” (Acts 2:41). Those who came to faith automatically belonged to the 'community of the apostles'. They didn't have to sign up or join the club. It was clear that they belonged together because they had all been given the same life, which was based on:

Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord
the Word of God, the "doctrine of the apostles" (in a narrow sense).

This was what they talked about and what kept them busy. Love to the Lord Jesus, who had now gone to heaven, and love to God's Word, from which they could now understand God's thoughts. They could tell from each other that they had the same life.

Much can be said about the concept of 'community' (Greek 'koinonia') and how it is used in the New Testament. But we will limit ourselves here to the most important aspect of it, which is the Christian life that each of them possessed.

The apostle John tells the believers the same about the community towards the end of the first century.

“(…) what we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and this communion of ours is also with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3)

What the apostles of the Lord Jesus experienced and what they heard from Him, both before and after His resurrection, they passed on to the believers. "That you also may have fellowship with us" says John, meaning that they would then belong to the same 'community of the apostles'. That communion is therefore also the Christian communion which the believers have with the Father and with His Son!

Because we walk in the light in this way, we also have "communion with one another," as John says in verses 5 to 7 of the same chapter.

Community division

The history of the Christian church has been divisive from the beginning. Until today she is bigger than ever. The reason for this lies in the fact that the believers have gradually left 'the community of the apostles'. Not physically in the sense that they have 'stepped out of the church', but have broken the bond with the apostles by letting go of the teachings of the apostles. They started following their own ideas.

Two points of view

The Epistle to the Romans is the only epistle that Paul wrote without any evidence of erroneous teaching or practice. He once more laid out the Gospel to them in an orderly fashion. But at the end he warns against those who

” (…) stir up dissensions and throw up stumbling blocks against the teaching which you have received, and turn away from them. ” (Romans 16:17).

The word 'disagreements' (Greek dichostasia) means 'two points of view', so that you can see from this that the teaching the apostles had brought was 'interpreted' differently by some, so that two different points of view arose. The logical consequence was, of course, that these two points of view were subsequently presented as equivalent, while in fact that is not the case. That is the 'stumbling block' that is put down.

Paul knew the danger the believers were in and he warns them to be alert. He instructs you to turn away from those people together in such cases.

You can think differently about things, right?

Many believe today – and also in the past – that it is quite possible to have different views on certain matters within the Christian community. Yet that is not the case with regard to Christian teaching (the teaching of the apostles). It is the ax to the root of the community. Satan will irrevocably use it to sow division and ultimately ruin the community.

Our text therefore presupposes that the teaching of the apostles was so unambiguously understandable that one could distinguish other arguments from it. Also 1 Corinthians 11:19 shows that you can distinguish 'the doctrine' from 'deviations'. In addition, Paul includes the 'deviations in doctrine' among the 'works of the flesh' (Galatians 5:20).

Daniel mentions the sins of the people of Israel – injustice, wickedness, rebellion – and says that they originated”by deviating from Your commandments and ordinances” (Daniel 9:5). He adds “We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name (...)". Ultimately, this paved the way for idolatry and led to "the breach of faith" toward the Lord (verse 7).

Do we see the parallels?

deviate from the commandments and stipulations; don't listen to the prophets
deviate from the teachings of the apostles

A foolish point of view

Based on this, we formulate that

the Christian community is founded and concentrated on the Christian teaching, that is, the teaching given by the apostles.

But this also means that those who hold other views cannot be part of the Christian community. Paul tells us to turn away from those who hold different views (Romans 16:17).

This view has always been highly contested and even today in our postmodern world most Christians reject this view. One strives for Christian unity while preserving different views. A frequently heard objection is this: how can you say that only those who agree in all things about what 'the doctrine of the apostles' entails can be counted as part of the Christian community? Complete foolishness, right?

Wasn't the Heidelberg Catechism once an attempt to describe the teaching, so that you would know what teaching you have in common? And doesn't the same apply to the Canons of Dordt? In the past, it was apparently also considered Scriptural to define community by establishing a common doctrine of doctrine. Whether it should be in this form is of course the question, but the goal that they had is not unbiblical.

For the time being, therefore, we will stick to the notion that in the beginning people “persevered in the teaching of the apostles and in the community” and that this is still the task even today.

Follow-up questions about the community

But we will take the question seriously and examine how the unity is shaped and the community is maintained and built up. The way in which this is done and the views on which it is based are decisive. This includes the following:

what are the characteristics of a born again christian
the Church of the Lord Jesus is His body; but what does that mean practically?
how does authority and obedience function in practice in this regard

Will be completed with more . . .