Saturday, July 18, 2015
We all have favorite Bible passages. We cherish these passages because they are God's Word and also because these precious nuggets have served us well to comfort, encourage, and to teach. If we were sitting around a campfire talking about our favorites, this would be one of mine -- and maybe yours.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
CONTINUE STEADFAST IN CHRIST ... TOGETHER
"Oh, you are part of that church ... the one that is against ..." As conservative Lutheran Christians we are constantly being labeled. Half the time those who label us don't bother to ask why we oppose certain things, they seem simply to assume we are narrow minded hateful little people who want to run people's lives. Yikes! How annoying! That's not who we are at all!
Sometimes when we are labeled or personally attacked, we begin to question whether we've gone too far. Are we going too far when we teach the doctrine of fellowship? Are we being too judgmental when we practice "close communion"? Are we being "holier than thou" when we refuse to pray with other people who claim to be Christian?
This passage helps me a great deal. It tells me what was important to the early church, to Jesus' disciples and other new believers just after the Lord's Ascension into heaven. What things did they cherish and hold fast to?
They continued carefully in the Apostles' doctrine which was given them by Christ. They didn't branch off into new areas or establish new teachings based on first century views. They stuck with Jesus' teachings communicated to the Apostles.
They stuck together for mutual comfort and encouragement. God places us in families (a congregation is a family) so that we may encourage and comfort one another.
They communed together. The expression "breaking bread" may refer simply to eating together, but sometimes it plainly refers to the Lord's Supper. We are many, yet we come together to partake of the one bread.
They prayed together. They were a community created by the Spirit, and so they prayed together.
We aren't the church against everything! We stand for Christ and His Word. Let the "haters" hate. God help us to continue in Christ's Word, to comfort and encourage one another, to come humbly to His table and to pray together.
