THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
By J. O. Corliss
THE testimony of the Spirit by which men were called into church fellowship under the early disciples, was direct and decisive. No effort was made to win popular applause, or to soothe sinful consciences. On the other hand, the sins of the time were laid bare, and the guilty ones pointed out. At Pentecost, especially, when men spoke "as the Spirit gave them utterance," Peter presented Christ to the multitude as One whom God had openly and fully approved, as they themselves knew. He then charged them with the terrible sin of deliberately murdering the Christ of God, who had been sent by divine grace to their rescue from Satan's power. Acts 2:22, 23. Proof was then offered to confirm Christ's mission to earth as divine, in the fact that after they, the professed people of God, had slain the just One, God had raised Him from the dead, as One over whom death could not hold the mastery. The resurrection of Christ was to them such a clearly established reality that they did not attempt to deny it; yet the lesson it had for them would still have been lost, had not the prophecies relating to it been cited, and their ultimatum presented. This revealed Christ as an occupant of heaven's throne after His resurrection, where He was to remain until all his enemies were overthrown. As believers in the prophecies, this direct recital appealed emphatically to their yet somewhat sensitive consciences. In distress of mind at the thought of their guilt, they appealed to the apostles to tell them what they ought to do in the matter. The Spirit, having so strongly convicted them, again directed the speech of the chief speaker of the day. Said Peter, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38. What a thought! Here was a numerous people, all charged with the awful crime of making the Son of God the victim of their malicious hatred; and when asking how to make amendment for the same, they were told that to do so, they must submit to have placed on them through the public act of baptism, the name of Him whom they had so greatly sinned against. It was a great humiliation, but it was the only way by which they could fully reveal true sorrow for their past course. Indeed, this was the only condition under which the gift of the Holy Spirit, now so much desired by them, could be theirs to enjoy. With this indwelling, they would have, in addition to the name of Christ assumed at the baptismal ceremony, His actual power of direction, which was then so plainly in evidence by the faithful boldness of the apostles. No less preparation than this was considered sufficient for membership in the early church. It was a consistent requirement, too, considering the nature of the church and its mission in the earth. Since the church is the "body of Christ" (Eph. 1:22, 23), and believers in Christ are to be members of that body (Rom. 12:5), how fitting that aspirants for this position in the heavenly economy should be asked to have self yield its place to the One whose name they profess to adopt, as the sign of their allegiance.4Then, again, when we consider that the church is set in the earth to be Christ's light-bearer to darkened sinners, why should not those who compose its membership, as parts of the body of Christ, unite to let their light shine before men, that they may see their good works, and so glorify the God of heaven? Matt. 5:16. But this witnessing for God can not be done without the indwelling power of Christ to control the mind and direct the action. With this, Christ is still revealed in humanity, and the world has opportunity to see Him as He is. The early church maintained just such a record. Altho three thousand were received into fellowship as the result of the Pentecostal outpouring, we are told that they all continued steadfast in the doctrines they were taught, and in brotherly intimacy. So great, indeed, was their love for the cause they had espoused, and their confidence in each other, that they disposed of their "possessions and goods," and distributed them among all, as each had need. They were of "one heart" and of "one soul," so much so that no one claimed legal title to anything in his possession in order to exclude others from its use. So no one of the early believers lacked for needed supplies, and none cared for more than enough to supply daily wants. Acts 2:44, 45; 4:32-34. This was a giving up all for Him who had first given up all for them. It was indeed the manifestation of Christly living, the development of every sublime attribute. Such simple, trusting faith in the divine promise (Matt. 6:33), such earnest love and devotion to Christ in the person of His saints (Matt. 25:40), could only be possible through an indwelling Christ, and was nothing short of the "faith of Jesus," exhibited by Him through the lives of the persons in whom He dwelt. Gal. 2:20. In view of such devotion, it ceases to be a wonder that through the power of the early church as many as five thousand were converted in a day, in one city alone. Acts 4:4. How different would be the success of the modern church, if the same conditions obtained in it that marked the course of the early one. But, sad to say, the conditions of church life are now altogether changed, and so are the visible results of its efforts. The great question is, Will it ever be different? Will the modern church slumber on in the embrace of selfish ease, until the last of the precious promises of God's Word is fulfilled, and then awake to find itself in the toils of an enemy? O church of God, awake! awake!
Accept the power He presents,
And witness to His grace.
The time has come for thee to rise,
And in the strength of God
Go forward in the heavenly way,
Clear opened by His Word.