The Early Church

And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”   So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.  And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.   And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

There is a great misconception in the church today.  The misconception is that, in order to bring people into the church, it is necessary to be as close to the world as possible.  The idea is that, by becoming very much like the world in appearance, the church then becomes more accessible to the world.  Then, those people who are afraid of traditional church or who feel judgment from the churches they have attended in the past can feel “comfy” and “cozy” by attending the church that feels just like home.

I totally agree with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.  I have no issue with the concepts that he is speaking of.  The problem is that Paul is saying nothing of the sort of thing such as “I am becoming worldly just like the world.”  Look at the groups that Paul is talking about.  Paul is comparing between Jews and Gentiles.  He is comparing between those “under the law” and those not “under the law.”  To stretch this passage to the point where it is assumed that Paul is saying to blend in with the world is to stretch it past the breaking point.  Paul is only saying that in order to hang out with folks from Dacia, he wouldn’t wear his kippa, talit, and phylacteries.

Today, this verse has become the impetus for seeker-sensitive churches to tune in to the world with bigger music, lightshows at churches, sermons that only scrape the very top of the bulk of Christianity.  It always amazes me that, while the seeker-sensitive movement decides to pull out 1 Corinthians 9, they seem to miss 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul derides the Corinthians for not growing and still being of the flesh.

Beyond that, I have other problems with the seeker-sensitive/megachurch movement.  How many churches of more than 300 people do you know of where everyone knows each other?  Probably none.  The answer is the small group/cell group/whatever group.  However, the group dynamic is entirely dependent on the group leaders, as well as how involved the group is.  Therefore, typically, these churches foster two things:  1, a total divorcing of practical, deep preaching of the Word, and 2, a very unaccounted, anonymous Christian walk with God.

When Mark Driscoll, who I know is an incredible pastor from listening to him, freely admits that he is unable to interact with his congregants the way that small church attendees expect to be interacted with, then there is a problem in the church movement.  What kind of answer can there be for this situation?  Well, I think the answer is to look at the model of the early church in Jerusalem.

The early church in Jerusalem did not have coffee and donuts.  The early church did not have “Mother’s Day Out” or outreach programs to the local at-risk community.  What they had was Peter’s passionate preaching of the Word on the morning of Pentecost.  Three thousand people were saved off of the message of “Jesus was the Son of God Most High, and YOU killed Him.”  Now, take this with a grain of salt- I am not saying outreach programs, donuts and coffee, and the like are bad.  I AM saying that the way to reach the unsaved is actually a lot simpler than modern churches think.  Paul exhorted Timothy saying “Preach the Word.”  The point I am getting at is this:  We will reach the masses with the message of Christ when we stop worrying about looking like the world and start worrying about creating fellowship and community, but not at the expense of truth.

The connections of the early church thrived from true community.  The church expanded on the strength of those who had heard the Word being discipled by the apostles and being taught the truth, then continuing in fellowship with one another.

Playing God?

An article on the science journal Nature published on July 23, 2009 details an experiment by Qi Zhou and Fanyi Zeng in which the two Chinese scientists attempt to use adult skin cells of mice to create a viable embryo.  The entire article can be read in its entirety here.  To summarize, Zhou and Zeng were successful in giving live birth to infant mice 27 times, and have successfully mated these mice to the extent that they have created over 100 third-generation mice.
The implications of this study are staggering, to say the least.  This study has the potential to both offer the saving grace of one ethical concern while opening an entirely new can of worms in another.  On the one hand, the use of these induced pluripotent Stem (iPs) cells, may prove very useful in the argument against using embryonic stem cells in scientific research for various cures.  Certainly, there has been an ongoing debate between the use of adult stem cell versus embryonic stem cells (You can read a review of “Lines that Divide,” a movie centered on the debate, from Chuck Colson here).  It stands to reason that by providing a scientific study that demonstrates at least the possibility of a non-destructive option in the search for stem-cell oriented cures, Zhou and Zeng have given new life to the opposition of embryonic-stem cell research.
For all of the benefits of the study by these two determined scientists, however, a nagging question that begs to be answered comes into play.  With the successful creation of viable embryos and the eventual development of living adult mice from these skin cells, where have we come to in the realm of cloning?  This study gives further rise to the possibility that human cloning, though a leap of expansive proportions from cloning mice, may eventually happen.  While Zhou is very quick to point out that “It is not intended to be a first step towards using iPS cells to create a human being,” the fact still remains that we are left with this exact implication in their study.  It has long been considered that the production of cloned mammals is an exceedingly difficult endeavour.  However, Zhou and Zeng have managed to create entirely new life from these iPS cells that originate from the skin cells of an adult mouse.  Therefore, the door now lies wide open for the potential of these technologies to eventually be used for cloning humans.
This study certainly proves why Christians need to be looking at every piece of news and scientific advance with a discerning mind and heart to formulate a thoroughly educated opinion on the subject.  While I, as I am sure many other Pro-Life advocates do, laud the significant advance in the battle against embryonic stem cell research, I also am left with a major concern about the potential for this science to extend to unethical levels.  At what point does the line extend beyond “understanding reprogramming” of iPS cells and reaches into the world of cloning?  What regulations will be in place to ensure that this does not occur?  What do we, as Christians, do with such an ethical double-edged sword?    Do we  celebrate the potential to save thousands of embryos and potential human beings, or do we prepare to answer the questions of the ethics of human cloning?
I suggest it is the responsibility of Christians to do both.  It is absolutely astounding that these scientists have given us an alternative to embryonic stem cells, and we should rejoice that God has given these men success in this arena.  We also need to prepare, as always, for the possibility that someone may use this technology (eventually) for unethical applications.  The ethics of this advance are contained entirely in the usage of the knowledge ascertained from this experiment.  If used for the benefit of mankind in a way that is within the confines of God’s Word, then this advance is yet another of God’s many blessings.  If used for unscrupulous purposes, then this knowledge is just another dangerous and disconcerting tool in the hands of a secular culture bent on demonstrating an utter lack of love and a lack of desire for truth.