“Characteristics of the Early Church”

Friday, March 29, 2019

There are many identifiable characteristics found in the first century church that made them such a special group of people which are also seen here as well.

One of these characteristics is GENEROSITY.   Luke shares in Acts 2:44-45, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”   We read also about this in Acts 4:32-37. This trait made the early church a strong and close-knit family by responding beautifully to meeting one another’s needs. This wasn’t command at this time and was simply an appropriate response from the heart to those in need.

This trait was taught and shared by Jesus, witnessed and displayed by the apostles, and ultimately embraced and practiced by the early church.  Generosity is a CHARACTERISTIC that permeates throughout the church and is a beautiful quality learned by watching the faithful response of generous people who meet the needs of their spiritual family.

** Jesus went about doing good and helping those in need (Acts 10:38), taught by our Lord (Acts 20:35), remembering those in need was a common practice in the early church (Galatians 2:10), taught by the apostles (Galatians 6:10), Paul taught this expression of faith to a young preacher (1 Timothy 6:18-19), expressed by the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 14:16), taught by Paul as an enduring quality (2 Thessalonians 3:13)**

I write about this because I have witnessed GENEROSITY first hand as a recipient by so many of you over the course of this last year. You have been so generous with me and my family in so many ways and we are grateful for each generous act given out of love.

Recently, we have received financial gifts in response to our adoption process. One was given by some children and another was given by a family. I mention these because they are generous acts of kindness like we find in the scriptures about the early church and, equally important, they were responses from the heart to help meet an important need.

These gifts of love were taught by the faithful example of parents who then passed this wonderful trait down to their children. It is ultimately lived out and witnessed by grandchildren who are now following in their grandparents’ and parents’ footsteps. What a beautiful sacrifice of love!

This is one of the many great qualities that makes this church such a wonderful spiritual family!  We are indeed grateful for help meeting a major need and loving us like family!!  “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” — 2 Timothy 2:1-2

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