And they continued steadfastly in the

apostles’ doctrine – Acts 2:42

In our recent study, we have been considering the growth of the early New Testament church. As we read about the spiritual and numerical growth of the early church in the book of Acts and other places, there should be many things that we can apply in our churches today. We will begin with some simple observations and then move on to deeper theology which should be taught in our churches today.

We know from the reading of Scripture that the sacrificial work of Christ was the foundation of the early church. After Peter tells the people that they crucified the Christ (Acts 2:36), he goes on to exhort them saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

He doesn’t beg them to say a prayer, go front to an altar, or raise their hand. He doesn’t have people sign cards so the elders can visit them. He doesn’t have the congregation sing three verses of a hymn and then add two more if no one responds. He simply and boldly proclaimed the truth of the gospel and then relied on the Holy Spirit to open their heart like He did with Lydia.

The growth of the early church was a spontaneous reaction to the work of God in the hearts and minds of men and women. Acts 2:41 says, “Then those who received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Acts 2:47 says, “and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” The Lord brought about an abundant harvest because of the fertile ground in which the early church was started.

In a recent conversation with a friend, we both agreed that all the gimmicks, tomfoolery, and easy-believism that has been added to the church, has only made the church more degenerate. The church today is dead with legalism and tradition that appears religious, but does nothing to change the hearts, minds, and lives of those who attend.

Very little was added to the early church as far as requirements, rules and guidelines. Because of some questions that arose within the church, some apostles and elders got together and wrote what is sometimes called “The Jerusalem Decree.” It was a very simple piece of writing. In Acts 15:29 it says, “that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” Abstaining from sexual immorality was one of the Ten Commandments.

Would it be hard for you to abide by that decree? Have you been eating food sacrificed to idols, or strangled? The most difficult one would be not committing sexual immorality. But today we have a bucket list of requirements for those who want to be accepted into a local church. Most of these things have been added by power-hungry leaders, and dictators who want to manufacture a religious life rather than rely on God to transform it.

Are you a religious person who says the right things and obeys the legalism of the church leaders? I believe it is better to be a person who has been changed from the inside out, someone who has had a heart transplant done by God. Then we will reflect the character of Christ to those around us, and we will glorify our Heavenly Father. Contact the author at thoughtsonword@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.

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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published four books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016, Eye of a Needle in 2017, Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019 and A Bridge Between in 2023. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children’s book.