The early Church started in 30AD where the apostles continue to distribute the Gospel of Jesus non merely to the Hebrews but besides to the Gentiles. The apostles continued the instructions of Jesus ‘ ministry after his Resurrection. The Church may be described as the assembly of a group of people in one topographic point.
However, during this period we could contrast the strengths and the failing of the early Church with those of the present Church. The strengths of the early Church are the devoted supplications of the trusters, the integrity of the members and healings and miracles performed by the leaders of the early Church. Among the failings include the favoritism by the adherents of the day-to-day distribution and lying to the Holy Spirit.
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Strength
2.0 PRAYER OF THE DISCIPLES
One of the major tools the early church used to pass on to God was Prayer. Marshall explains that supplication was really utile and effectual in the early Church. There are many cases where supplication took topographic point to attest the presence of God. On the twenty-four hours Pentecost all the adherents had gathered in one agreement praying. The Holy Spirit fell on them and they spoke in linguas ( Acts 2:4 )[ 1 ]. One of the impacts of this was that Peter preached and at that place by converted three 1000 people to Christ.
Furthermore, the adherents prayed whenever they faced persecutions and these supplications strengthened them to make the work of God ( Acts 4:23-31 ) . It can be argued that ‘the consequence of the persecution was to adhere the members of the church together so that there was a common desire to pray ‘[ 2 ].
Similarly, supplication became the order of the twenty-four hours where trusters engaged in prayer meetings and supplication Sessionss in assorted churches. Christians today are being attacked by evil forces and meeting assorted jobs such as persecutions and firing down of church edifices. These seem to oblige them to go to prayer meetings both in their church and other churches.
3.0 UNITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH
Herring opines that integrity was paramount in both early and present Church. They worshipped together and shared things in common. The ground was that they saw God as one organic structure comprises of the Father, the boy and the Holy Spirit ‘united by the power of ageless love ‘[ 3 ]
The love of God adhere them together as one household and even sold their things and brought to the adherents to be distributed to the destitute members ( Acts 4:32-35 ) .
In today churches, integrity is besides seen when with one voice The Church organise campaigns, seminars, and retreats to win psyches to Christ. Some trusters besides show love in one manner or the other such as giving love offerings. The Church in its ain little manner besides assists its members financially where really destitute people in the church is supported with money.
4.0 Healing AND MIRACLE
Barclay is of the sentiment that healings and miracles played important functions in the yearss of the early Church. After Peter was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit he began to execute marks and admirations foremost, by mending the feeble adult male at the beautiful gate ( Acts 3:7 )[ 4 ]. Besides, many people with assorted illnesss were brought to the pess of the apostles to be healed. Miracle healings took topographic point when Peter ‘s shadow fell on the sick ( Acts 3:12-16 ) . The consequence of this was that many people got converted and followed Christ.
Guthrie argued that, people doubted the miracles and healings as it ‘smacks of superstitious notion ‘[ 5 ], intending they attached traditional belief to it as non from God. To rectify such negative thought Peter took the chance to turn to the crowd at the beautiful gate that the healing was non from their ain strength but by the power of God.
Healings and miracles besides play a critical function in the modern-day Church. The present church continues the work of the apostles in ministering mending to different sorts of illnesss. Peoples with diverse diseases or possessed with devils are healed by church leaders endowed with the gifts of healings and miracle.However, Guthrie ‘s position poses challenge to the terminal clip church because of false Prophetss making so many miracles that are non from God. This is where false Prophetss obtain supernatural powers from diabolic Liquors to execute miracles in their Church to pull more people to them for their selfish fiscal additions.
Failing
5.0 FAVOURITISM OF THE DISCIPLES
Traditions and imposts had an of import function to play in weakening the early Church. The apostles were blamed for rehearsing favoritism in the Christian camp.De Haan explains that, ‘the nonnative, Greek-speaking Jews complained that they were neglected ‘[ 6 ].Those responsible for the day-to-day distribution were favoring the non Jews ( Acts 6:1-6 ) . Though, the Apostles appointed new work forces full of Holy Spirit to happen immediate solution to their jobs, it appears that they still could non work out the job.
Favoritism seems to hold become the order of the twenty-four hours in modern Church. Some curates for certain grounds favour members of their church to busy cardinal places even though they may non be the most qualified or suited individual. In certain instances some curates call for particular supplications for members depending on how much they have been given to the Church. Can this be called equity in our modern church? It is rather interesting to state that favoritism has become portion of every church get downing from the early church right through history.
6. Lying TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
This is one of the state of affairss that the apostles foremost experienced in the early Church. Ananias and his married woman lied to the apostles for their selfish involvement. ( Acts 5: 1-11 ) .They kept back certain portion of the money of the returns of the sale of their belongings and lied to Peter. He rebuked them and the Holy Spirit killed them for non being faithful truthful to the Holy Spirit. Harmonizing to Barclay, lying ‘is the most graphic wickedness in the book of Acts ‘ . This narrative showed one of the bad behavior of the apostles in the Bible[ 7 ].This clearly shows that there were imperfect members within the early Church who called themselves Christians merely as it happens in the modern-day church.
In today ‘s Church there is a whole batch of Christian who behave the same manner. Falsehood has taken a major portion in our day-to-day lives in today ‘s church. It is my contention that many trusters are non faithful to the Holy Spirit.Therefore if Christians are non true in their day-to-day lives it is sin against Holy Spirit and we are merely as blameworthy Ananias and his married woman.
7. Decision
The early Church played a really important function in the History of the New Testament. From the above treatment it has been shown that the early Church performed functions that are similar to modern-day churches. Both church epoch were seriously devoted in supplications. The early Church was besides obedient to portion everything in common among themselves merely like the present church.
However, it can be argued that both churches have failings in regard to other social-economic frailties. Both Churches pattern favoritism to their confidant cultural groups. Liing is besides found in both churches in the sense that it shows that both early and present churches are a mixture of good and bad.
Even though, there are failings in both churches jet, their strengths are paramount which outweigh the failing.
