The apostolic era was a special period in the history of Christianity, and many miracles happened at that time. Many people are also very envious of the lives of the apostles. In today’s society, it is no longer realistic to live a life that “Having Everything in Common”. However, more and more pastors are calling on the church to return to the apostolic period, with reasons for doing so.
Pastor Hua (a pseudonym) serves in a small church in south China. He began to know Jesus in college and studied all kinds of religions. He claimed that the gospel that many pastors today preach has diverged from the gospel that the apostles shared.
He stated, "Many times, the gospel we hear is that we can go to heaven after death as our sins have been redeemed by Jesus, who was crucified for us. However, this is not the gospel that the apostles preached. We need to go back to the book of Acts and see what Paul and Peter proclaimed, for they didn’t say that sinful men could go to heaven after believing in Jesus.”
Hua pointed out that when facing different audiences in different places, Paul preached the gospel with different words that conveyed the same message. Paul didn't just talk about the death of Jesus Christ for our sins; he also talked about the resurrection of Jesus: "We now bring you the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead". Paul spoke of the resurrection of Jesus, who would be King. Because God promised that he would raise up a king (Jesus Christ) from David's descendants to establish the kingdom of God, and Jesus would rise up and ascend to heaven as the king of the kingdom.
Hua also pointed out that many churches today lack the concept of a kingdom. A kingdom must have a king, and when we believed in the Lord, we went to seek refuge under him, a new king in a new kingdom. God created the world in the beginning and redeemed the world to gain a group of people headed by His Son, Jesus Christ. This group of people was the bride of Christ, who would inherit all things with Christ in the kingdom of God and share the glory of God together, Hua continued.
Many people didn’t understand that Jesus is the king and that they should take refuge in His kingdom and obey the laws of the kingdom of heaven. Many people just understood that they have been saved by His precious blood, and then they could do whatever we like, Hua added.
Hua said that many people had a wrong understanding of rebirth. He explained that the newborn people were those who were moved by and were willing to have the heavenly life of Jesus, who became obedient to death, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven. Seeing the beauty of a God-centered, self-sacrificing, and humble life, they envied such a life, dedicated their lives to the Lord, and let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts.
James said that faith without works was dead. In Mr. Hua's view, deeds were the soul of faith. "Faith without action is no faith," he declared, and a truly regenerated person would surely repent.
Hua stated humans had thoughts, emotions, and wills. One person may believe in a certain idea but not act accordingly. People's beliefs and thoughts must change their emotions, influence their will and transform their actions, then the belief grows into faith and a person can be changed. Therefore, if the belief has not been lived out by deeds, they are not a person of faith, Hua said.
Apostles were a group of people who are separated from the world and walked on the way of the cross, following the Lord who died and resurrected. But because people deviate from the pure truth of the gospel and the church has become secularized, Christians are now unwilling to suffer for the Lord.
Many pastors criticize the church for being too secularized today, with little distinction between the church and the world. Many pastors said that God is a God of blessings and that people should strive for good marriages, families, and jobs. Therefore, many Christians became secular and pursued the world. Even some pastors planned their children’s future work and live in ways that were contrary to the values of Christ.
Hua pointed out that Christians should know that faith benefits both their spirits and bodies and that they can get both heavenly and earthly blessings. He mentioned that if they only focused on their bodies and lives on earth and the benefits of believing in Jesus, it was a secular gospel, not the holy gospel.
The original apostles and the later desert fathers all lived for the Lord. Many people simply pursued, longed for, and martyred for the Lord, not afraid to suffer for the gospel. On the contrary, today’s Christians are more likely to sway in difficult circumstances and avoid suffering.
Pastor Chen, who has shepherded for more than 20 years in south China, also advocated that the church should return to the apostolic age, when Christians got together, sometimes broke bread, and worshiped God at home.
"It is important to pass on the faith in the family. With old people and children, the family is full of love and a good place to practice the gospel. While the church is a big family, members in small families also live according to the teachings of Christ."
The church Chen serves has been doing couples camps since 2006. He found that the church grew rapidly through family ministries, as family members and friends are attracted to attend private gatherings in families where there is love and trust.
In the church led by Pastor Chen, husband and wife serve together in the church, and Chen believed that such a family is more stable.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
使徒时代在基督教历史上是一个特别的时代，那个时代有很多的神迹奇事。很多人也很羡慕使徒时期的生活，今天的社会想要实现“凡物公用”已经不太现实了，但是笔者近期在走访中发现，越来越多的牧者在呼吁教会要回到使徒时期的教会，并且指出这样做的原因。
华老师（化名）是一位南方地区教会的牧者，他大学时期接触信仰，研究过多种宗教，目前服事一间小教会。华老师发现今天很多传道人所传的福音已经偏离了使徒们所传的福音。
他表示：“很多时候，我们听到的福音是：人有罪，相信耶稣是为我死，我的罪就得赦免，我死后就可以上天堂。但这不是使徒所传的福音。我们需要回到使徒行传，看保罗、彼得是怎么传福音的，他们没有讲你是有罪的，信耶稣上天堂。”
华老师指出保罗在不同的地方，面对不同的听众，虽然传福音用词不同，但是背后思想一样。保罗不只是讲到耶稣基督为我们的罪死，他还讲耶稣的复活，“我们现在报好信息给你们，耶稣从死里复活了”。保罗讲耶稣复活了，并且基督要做王。因为上帝的应许是祂要从大卫的后裔中兴起一位王（耶稣基督），建立天国，耶稣复活升天做天国的君王。
华老师同时指出，今天很多教会缺少国度观念，国度首先有国，有王，我们信主是投靠一个王，是从这个国到那个国。上帝起初创造这个世界，救赎这个世界。最终目的是要得着一个以祂的儿子、耶稣基督为首的一群人。这群人是基督的新妇，在上帝的国里与基督一同继承万有，一同分享上帝的荣耀。
很多人对这个观念不清晰，不知道耶稣是王，人要投靠他的国，并且遵行天国的法。很多人只是理解为我们靠他的宝血得救，得救了爱干嘛干嘛。
华老师认为很多人对重生的理解有误。他对真正的重生作出解释：我们因着认识耶稣基督顺服致死的生命，然后看见顺服至死然后复活升天的荣耀。看见以上帝为中心、舍己谦卑的生命的美，我们羡慕这样的生命。求告主，把我们的生命奉献给主，让基督的生命在我们里面做主。重生是要见光的，看见耶稣基督属天的生命，被感动，愿意拥有这样的生命。
雅各说信心没有行为是死的，在华老师看来，行为是信心的灵魂。没有行为等于没有信心。真重生的人一定有悔改的行为。
华老师举例说明：我们人有思想、情感、意志，思想里相信某个观念，只是说他同意认同，这是信念。人这样信不一定这样做，控制他的可能仍然是另一个系统。信念、思想必须改变一个人的情感，渗透到他的意志里，转化为行动，这个信念才转化为信心，才会让一个人改变。因此信念没有转化为行为，就不是有信心的人。
使徒是跟随死而复活的主走十字架的路的人，是与世界分别的一群人。但是因为福音偏离了，教会世俗化很严重。基督徒失去了为主受苦的心志。
多位牧者批评今天教会世俗化很严重，教会和世界区别不明显。很多牧师讲神是赐福的神，信仰为了好的婚姻、家庭、工作。因此，很多基督徒活得太世俗，追求都放在世界上。甚至一些牧者也在为孩子未来的工作和生活预备，所行的与基督的价值观是相悖的。
华老师指出，基督徒要知道信仰有灵魂的益处和肉体的益处，有天上的祝福和地上的祝福，如果只看着肉体，看着地上的，只为了得好处，那是世俗化的福音，不是神圣的福音。
最初的使徒和之后的沙漠教父们都是为主而活，单纯追求主、渴慕主、为主殉道的人特别多，人们不惧怕为福音受苦，相比，今天的基督徒遇到环境更容易动摇，喜欢躲避苦难。
另外一位在南方地区有二十多年牧养经验的牧者陈牧师也主张教会要回到使徒时代。他的理由是：使徒时期的教会，有时候聚在一起，有时候在家庭中掰饼。但他们更多时候以家庭为中心敬拜上帝。
“家庭的传承很重要。因为家庭运作是爱的方式，家里有老人有孩子，是很好地实践福音的场所。教会是个大家族，每个小家按照基督教导的方式生活。”
陈牧师所在的教会从06年开始做夫妻营。他发现以家庭为单位建造教会，教会发展很快。家庭有爱，有信任，通过私人聚会的方式可以吸引家人和朋友参与进来。
陈牧师所带领的教会，同工都是夫妻一起搭配服事，他认为这样的家庭更加稳固。
话题| 今日教会是否需要回到使徒时代？
The apostolic era was a special period in the history of Christianity, and many miracles happened at that time. Many people are also very envious of the lives of the apostles. In today’s society, it is no longer realistic to live a life that “Having Everything in Common”. However, more and more pastors are calling on the church to return to the apostolic period, with reasons for doing so.
Pastor Hua (a pseudonym) serves in a small church in south China. He began to know Jesus in college and studied all kinds of religions. He claimed that the gospel that many pastors today preach has diverged from the gospel that the apostles shared.
He stated, "Many times, the gospel we hear is that we can go to heaven after death as our sins have been redeemed by Jesus, who was crucified for us. However, this is not the gospel that the apostles preached. We need to go back to the book of Acts and see what Paul and Peter proclaimed, for they didn’t say that sinful men could go to heaven after believing in Jesus.”
Hua pointed out that when facing different audiences in different places, Paul preached the gospel with different words that conveyed the same message. Paul didn't just talk about the death of Jesus Christ for our sins; he also talked about the resurrection of Jesus: "We now bring you the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead". Paul spoke of the resurrection of Jesus, who would be King. Because God promised that he would raise up a king (Jesus Christ) from David's descendants to establish the kingdom of God, and Jesus would rise up and ascend to heaven as the king of the kingdom.
Hua also pointed out that many churches today lack the concept of a kingdom. A kingdom must have a king, and when we believed in the Lord, we went to seek refuge under him, a new king in a new kingdom. God created the world in the beginning and redeemed the world to gain a group of people headed by His Son, Jesus Christ. This group of people was the bride of Christ, who would inherit all things with Christ in the kingdom of God and share the glory of God together, Hua continued.
Many people didn’t understand that Jesus is the king and that they should take refuge in His kingdom and obey the laws of the kingdom of heaven. Many people just understood that they have been saved by His precious blood, and then they could do whatever we like, Hua added.
Hua said that many people had a wrong understanding of rebirth. He explained that the newborn people were those who were moved by and were willing to have the heavenly life of Jesus, who became obedient to death, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven. Seeing the beauty of a God-centered, self-sacrificing, and humble life, they envied such a life, dedicated their lives to the Lord, and let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts.
James said that faith without works was dead. In Mr. Hua's view, deeds were the soul of faith. "Faith without action is no faith," he declared, and a truly regenerated person would surely repent.
Hua stated humans had thoughts, emotions, and wills. One person may believe in a certain idea but not act accordingly. People's beliefs and thoughts must change their emotions, influence their will and transform their actions, then the belief grows into faith and a person can be changed. Therefore, if the belief has not been lived out by deeds, they are not a person of faith, Hua said.
Apostles were a group of people who are separated from the world and walked on the way of the cross, following the Lord who died and resurrected. But because people deviate from the pure truth of the gospel and the church has become secularized, Christians are now unwilling to suffer for the Lord.
Many pastors criticize the church for being too secularized today, with little distinction between the church and the world. Many pastors said that God is a God of blessings and that people should strive for good marriages, families, and jobs. Therefore, many Christians became secular and pursued the world. Even some pastors planned their children’s future work and live in ways that were contrary to the values of Christ.
Hua pointed out that Christians should know that faith benefits both their spirits and bodies and that they can get both heavenly and earthly blessings. He mentioned that if they only focused on their bodies and lives on earth and the benefits of believing in Jesus, it was a secular gospel, not the holy gospel.
The original apostles and the later desert fathers all lived for the Lord. Many people simply pursued, longed for, and martyred for the Lord, not afraid to suffer for the gospel. On the contrary, today’s Christians are more likely to sway in difficult circumstances and avoid suffering.
Pastor Chen, who has shepherded for more than 20 years in south China, also advocated that the church should return to the apostolic age, when Christians got together, sometimes broke bread, and worshiped God at home.
"It is important to pass on the faith in the family. With old people and children, the family is full of love and a good place to practice the gospel. While the church is a big family, members in small families also live according to the teachings of Christ."
The church Chen serves has been doing couples camps since 2006. He found that the church grew rapidly through family ministries, as family members and friends are attracted to attend private gatherings in families where there is love and trust.
In the church led by Pastor Chen, husband and wife serve together in the church, and Chen believed that such a family is more stable.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Topic: Does Church Need to Go Back to Apostolic Age?
