Saturday, April 16, 2016
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
THE SPOILS OF VICTORY -- DOCTRINE AND FELLOWSHIP
A few verses after mentioning the spoils of repentance and baptism, Luke introduces two more: doctrine and fellowship. Whereas repentance and baptism emphasized mission work, doctrine and fellowship emphasize the continued life of the Church after it is established. Early Christians rejoiced in spreading the Word of God but also in sharing in the substance of the Word of God. The fact that they practiced fellowship together and focused on the doctrines of the Bible shows that they were concerned with the objective truth of God's Word.
To apply this to our modern age, the early Church did not overlook certain points about God's Word in order to keep establishing churches and gaining numerical growth. They were also equally concerned with keeping people in the true faith. This teaches us that discipline within the Christian congregation and within the individual heart is also a blessed product of the resurrection. Christ did not die on the cross and rise from the dead in order for churches to be established but eventually suffer from lack of unity. He gave us these precious gifts so that we might share in His Word as one, united body.
Valuing doctrine and fellowship today is certainly rare in many churches, and even more difficult to continue practicing in our individual lives. But, it's always a goal worth striving for because it's a gift from our Savior's resurrection. The early Church placed a high priority on both growth and doctrinal discipline. They didn't have to sacrifice one at the expense of the other, and neither do we. We live with the same spoils of the resurrection victory as they did.
