Church & Faith | More than Sunday
Series: EIFACH muetig – with Jesus as a role model | Bible text: John 20:21–23; Acts 6:1–7
Before Jesus left his friends, he said to them: «As the Father has sent me, so I send you» (John 20:21). To find out what this could mean for the church today, it is worth looking at the first church in Jerusalem and the early Christians before the Constantinian revolution. In doing so, we come across a clear message, a willingness to martyrdom and a care that transcends all social and ethical boundaries. These factors are still part of the mission and mandate of the churches today.
Figuratively speaking, a church should be like a house in which the fireplace is burning and the doors are wide open. In the same sense, but with different words, Jesus explained to his friends their mission in the world: «Again he spoke to them and said: «Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Then he breathed on them and said: «Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven» » (John 20:21–23 NLB). The Holy Spirit is the fire that heats up the house. This is the source of the mission and empowered outward action.
Fascination first church
When asking about the mission and mission of the church, we first look at the original – the first church in Jerusalem. What is certain is that Peter experienced a strong response to his proclamation of the good news: «But many of the people who had heard her message believed, so that the number of believers grew to about five thousand men, not counting women and children» (Acts 4:4 NLB).
In the Jerusalem church, they not only preached, but they also also dealt with tangible diaconal challenges: «However, as the number of believers grew, disputes arose. Those from the Greek-speaking areas complained to the Hebrews because they believed that their widows were being disadvantaged in terms of daily provision» (Acts 6:1 NLB).
On Pentecost, God poured out his Spirit on many people. He comes to people – real people with origins, histories and identities. People who belong to a certain gender, come from different cultures and have travelled very different paths in life. All different. And it is precisely from this diversity that God forms a people: His people. Foreign widows also belong to this people. It was part of Jewish culture to regard foreigners as inferior and even call them «dogs» (Matthew 15:27). Not because they wanted to be mean or had evil intentions, it was simply normal. Women were treated with similar disdain. Not only did they have nothing to say, they had hardly any rights or opportunities to provide for themselves.
These foreign widows were also discriminated against in the church, not out of malice, but because people were so used to it and thought nothing of it. This contradicts the nature of God, who values all people equally. The Spirit of God now needs the voice of these women, of all people, in order to heal the community a little. The apostles recognise the work of the Spirit in this criticism and respond: They appoint deacons to organise the care in a just way. In this way, the church becomes a little more what it should be – an image of God. God’s spirit reaches deep into the everyday life of this world – not only into the religious, but also into the very physical, social life.
The fascination of early Christians
In order to gain further impetus for our mission and our mandate, let us take a look at the time of the early Christians up to the Constantinian revolution in the 4th century. This turning point was characterised by Emperor Constantine declaring Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. From then on, every citizen of the empire was a Christian by birth. Today we live in the so-called post-Constantinian era. This means that it can no longer be taken for granted that someone is a Christian. In many ways, our time resembles the church of the early Christians. Even then, Christians were a small minority in the Roman Empire in a multi-religious society with many options and completely different ethical ideas.
Although the Christians did not have the state on their side at the time and were persecuted, they developed a great charisma that could not be overlooked. Through the positive involvement of Christians, the Roman Empire was conquered from within without violence. There were cultural changes such as the liberation of slaves, the valorisation of women, the protection of unborn life, etc.
Roland Werner has researched this topic and written a book entitled «The Fascination of Early Christians». Three factors will be addressed:
- Clear messageThere is an early graffito from a catacomb in Rome that shows a man mocking his Christian colleague. It depicts a crucified man with the head of a donkey and a man standing in front of him with his hand raised in a gesture of worship. The mockery underneath reads: «Alexamenos worships his god». The message is: How crazy you have to be to worship a crucified man! The message of the Christians that there is only one God, and that this one God manifests himself in a crucified Jesus who was a Jew, was utter madness for the Romans on all levels. Nevertheless, the early Christians were able to formulate the good news: God is recognisable, He loves you, He gives Himself for you, the question of your guilt can be clarified, He has disarmed on the cross the powers and authorities that people were afraid of, He is risen, i.e. we now have real hope for the future.
- Readiness for martyrdomMany Christian martyrs are said to have gone to their deaths calmly and serenely. On 7 March 203, two women, Perpetua and Felicitas, were led into the arena to die for their faith. Tens of thousands of people shouted: «Away with the atheists!». The two women walked bravely towards their earthly end. Some people asked themselves: «What kind of power is that? They manage to do what our stoic philosophers want to teach us, namely to go to our deaths with composure.»
- Caring for one another across all social and ethical boundariesIt was the Christians who, during the great pandemics of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, took in and cared for orphans and the sick – including non-Christians – and buried the dead that nobody wanted to touch because of the risk of infection (plague, Ebola). Where social structures collapsed, there was a coexistence of men and women, slaves and free, rich and poor and Jews and non-Jews in the Christian community.
The fact that there was food distribution in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1) was a matter of course. That is why it is not developed, but only mentioned in passing. Christianity therefore encompassed the whole of life. In the 3rd century, the Roman church had around 1500 widows on its care list. John Chrystomos reported from Antioch (4th century): «Our community provides for 2500 widows every day and yet we are not getting any poorer.»
The clear message, the willingness to give one’s life for it and a care that was not limited to their own people were essential factors (together with signs, miracles and non-violent love of enemies) and allowed the church to grow despite all the persecution.
The fascination of today’s church
These three factors provide important impulses for the current church:
- Clear messageAre we able to speak the Good News of Jesus Christ into today’s culture in an understandable way? A Bernese politician of the Grand Council made the following contribution to the topic of youth mental health in a respectful manner, with a humble heart and clear testimony. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7X8_quegE8). Stefan Vatter told a conference that the gospel can be communicated in 30 seconds. These are the seven key points: » There is a God. 2 God wants to enter into a relationship with man. 3 There is a problem – evil. 4 God has solved this problem in Jesus Christ. 5 You can enter into a relationship with God. 6 You have a mentor. 7 You will have to answer to God.» And then he writes that he was able to lead three people to Christ in the Allgäu region because the question of whether the creation of the mountains was a coincidence or whether God existed was discussed while hiking. Some followers of Jesus believe that you can fulfil the mission without talking at all. Peter contradicts this: «Make Christ the Lord of your life. And when you are asked about your hope, always be ready to give information about it, but in a friendly way and with respect for others […]» (1 Peter 3:15 NLB).
- Readiness for martyrdomEven if we don’t have to fear for our lives today, I wish we could share Paul’s serenity, confidence and hope of glory with God. He says: «For Christ is my life, and dying is my gain» (Philippians 1:21 LUT). Those who know what is most beautiful before them can deal more confidently with what is temporary and do not have to cling desperately to this life.
- Caring for one another across all social and ethical boundaries: «For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your house […]» (Matthew 25:35 NLB). Jesus talks about the fact that helping the needy is at the same time helping Himself – a very strong testimony to the diaconal mission of the Church. Although we are able to support people in need through the Lichtblick social organisation, I am still concerned about two situations: Recently, we used our weekly email to seek support for a single mother who is at the end of her tether and whose ex-husband is not fulfilling his responsibilities. I am convinced that we as a large church should stand by such people. Or: in spring 2022, many Ukrainian refugees reached us. We provided valuable emergency aid. At the beginning, some of them came to church. Unfortunately, this has now levelled off. I feel that we missed a great opportunity by not making any effort to integrate these people. It would be a reflection of the early church if the most diverse people could find a place in our community.
Imagine a house. There’s a fire burning inside – it’s warm, it glows. People feel: there is life here. There is hope here. The doors are open. Everyone can come – no matter where they come from, no matter how hurt they are. Not because the house is particularly beautiful, but because the fire is real. This fire is the Holy Spirit. He makes the house come alive – and sends us out again. Because the goal is not to stay warm. We carry the fire further. A small light – but strong enough to change the darkness. You are part of this house. And you carry the spark within you.
Possible questions for the small groups
Bible text: Acts 6:1–7; John 20:21–23
- What impresses you about the way the early church dealt with challenges and social tensions? How could we respond to current challenges in a spirit-led way?
- What can we learn today from the early church, which grew despite persecution?
- Do you feel able to explain the gospel clearly and understandably? What might be holding you back? What experiences have you had when talking about your faith – positive or negative?
- What does «caring across social and ethnic boundaries» mean to you – where do you live this in practice? How can we as a small group or church become better at truly integrating people – not just supporting them in the short term?
- What is the next step for you personally to become a bearer of hope yourself?
