first emerging church
Samuel Johnson, the English lexicographer and writer, was once given a manuscript to evaluate. This was his response: “Your writing is both good and original. However, what is good is not original and what is original is not good.” I have wondered if the same critique can be given about my thoughts on the first emerging church (Note all small letters) but I will attempt to blend the good and original in such a way that I will either sound brilliant or benighted.
As I was reading Acts this summer it occurred to me that the church at Antioch was probably the first emerging church. I know the term emerging was only recently applied to church but it has been part of the English vocabulary for centuries. So for the sake of discussion permit me to retrodict and call Antioch an emerging church.
It was organically connected to the church in Jerusalem but it was something completely different. Paul was clear in Ephesians when he said there was only one church.
This church in Antioch received a response similar to the emerging church today. “Let’s go find out what those goys up in Antioch are up to.” Acts 11:22 (HCSB) Then the report about them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch.
Fortunately for us Barnabas went with an open mind and heart. Acts 11:23 (HCSB) When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart—
These two churches continued to coexist, each in its own sphere, however not without a certain amount of tension.
The emerging church became the dominant church. It was to Antioch that Paul returned from his journeys. It was to the other emerging churches that Paul wrote his letters. I can only find one letter written to the churches connected to Jerusalem—the letter of James. If this is the case much of the New Testament is addressed to the emerging church.
But hey, I am still thinking this through so help me out.
vieuxloup
Also known as Lew Button
posted by vieuxloup at 2:08 PM
1 Comments:
I agree with what you're saying, Lew. The Church of Antioch provides a really helpful example of an emerging church, in that -- for the first time -- the world witnessed the pattern of the multiethnic reunion in Christ. I think this challenges the church growth principle of the "homogeneous unit" and helps us understand today's "Ephesian moment." Newbigin (I think) uses this term to describe the way the Church is coming together again. This amazing movement is not centered on some political agenda (e.g. the WCC) but rather in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
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