What could happen if we become more like the first Christians

By Dean Collins

Growing up in the church I often heard sermons about how we needed to be more like the church in Acts. The takeaway seemed to be that if we were more like the first Christians, we would be more loving. We would share with anyone who had need and we would send out more people to plant churches and evangelize the world. Our Acts-like behaviors would cause nonbelievers to notice, and everyone would soon believe in Jesus.

I’ll admit there are a few passages in Acts that are inspiring to consider. Acts 4:32-35 is one of them. Reading about a place and a moment when those who believed were one in heart and soul and everyone shared easily and openly sounds nice. And then the text grows even more inspiring when we read how the apostles testified with great power and grace was upon all of them. People started cashing in their retirement accounts and handing their resources over to the apostles to fund the explosion of the gospel.

Tensions

But in this seemingly idyllic story, it apparently wasn’t just the gospel that was exploding. The church began to have escalating and likely racial tensions.

There are some tough passages in Acts, and chapters 6 and 7 suggest that maybe being a church like the one in Acts is going to be difficult and will include working through hard issues. It may also mean some will be attacked and even killed for their beliefs. And the attacks may come from religious folk, not just from the outsiders.

Maybe being a church like the one in Acts is going to be difficult and will include working through hard issues. It may also mean some will be attacked and even killed for their beliefs.

Centuries earlier the Jewish people had scattered throughout the Middle East due to Babylonian and Assyrian dominance and captivity. And many Jews had mixed with other races and cultures before they returned to Jerusalem. In Acts 6 it seems that Hellenist Jews were not being treated the same as the local Jews who had been in Jerusalem awhile. Their cultural practices and their politics were likely different. The end result was the widows of Hellenistic backgrounds were not being treated the same as the widows from Jerusalem. They were being neglected in the distribution of food. So the apostles stepped up and appointed seven deacons to fix this inequity. And all seven were from a Hellenistic background. This strategy worked, and there was peace in the church again.

Preaching

But one of these seven who was given the job of food distribution also had other gifts. He started preaching, and there was evidence of signs and wonders that happened when he was around. His name was Stephen, and his preaching not only stirred some to repentance, it provoked some to argue. It’s interesting that while Stephen was one of the seven who solved the inequity problem, he was now confronted by others from another synagogue because of his wisdom and powerful preaching. The Holy Spirit was doing great things through Stephen, and other leaders were jealous.

The Holy Spirit was doing great things through Stephen, and other leaders were jealous.

Just as the religious leaders didn’t like it when Jesus got too much attention, now they didn’t like it because Stephen was in the limelight. He wasn’t trying to be the center of anything, yet some were determined to knock him off his pedestal by stirring up the crowd about things Stephen said in his sermons. This isn’t that different from how someone might take a sound bite from someone’s comments today and use it to attack them in social and mainstream media. And then, sadly, many church members spread these quotes to others.

Stephen was ahead of his time in understanding Jesus and his Kingdom. Stephen understood that neither the temple nor the center of Jerusalem was to be worshipped. And he also knew the gospel was for everyone. Sadly, many found this teaching offensive because of their cultural and religious preferences. They might consider Jesus as long as he didn’t disrupt their biases or their routines.

The Stoning of Stephen, by Juan de Juanes 1523 – 1579, Museo del Prado, Madrid

Persecution

In chapter 7 we see a disingenuous inquiry or trial of Stephen much like Jesus had experienced. The accusers weren’t looking for truth; they were looking for power. That combination always leads to bloodshed at worst and division at least.

Even as Stephen explained clearly from Scripture how Jesus came for all people and that believers who live transformed by Christ make all spaces sacred, the mob would have nothing of it. So they stoned Stephen as a way to protect their territory.

In the United States we aren’t used to seeing persecution like this incident in Acts 7, but our brothers and sisters in other countries have experienced this hostility for centuries. They understand that following Jesus can be costly and, like Stephen, are willing to trust Jesus to work through them even as they suffer for his name.

Change

After the stoning of Stephen the gospel exploded to reach many as the church scattered into new territory. Maybe we do need to be more like the church we read about in Acts. And if we take the good news of Jesus seriously, then not only will we love more and share more, we might find that we stir up hard conversations about how we must get out of our comfort zones and share Jesus with everyone. And then we shouldn’t be surprised when the message of Jesus upsets both power structures and personal preferences.

When we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,” we might be surprised how much God will change us, change our churches, and change the world.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:32-35‬; 6:1-15; 7:1-10; 47-60 ‭ESV‬‬

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