So what is it specifically that I am proposing? I’m arguing that the apostolic tradition should be moved from being an afterthought, to occupying the forefront of a church’s self-evaluation. I believe that churches should be fervently and continually examining all their practices in light of the instructions given to the churches by the apostles, and that where they find that their practices are not in conformity with those instructions, they should change what they’re doing.
How do we go about evaluating these matters? Here are some very cursory suggestions:
1. We ought to evaluate what the apostles actually commanded the churches. For example, did they really command the saints to meet on the first day of the week? Did they truly command that two or three prophets should speak? Did they actually prohibit women from speaking in the assembly? These questions must be answered from a detailed study of the scriptures, and I’m not suggesting that the process is always simple or straightforward.
2. Once their true commands are properly ascertained, that is, once we understand what it is they were actually commanding, we ought to evaluate how closely we’re following these commands: Are we doing everything they commanded? In the way they commanded it to be done? Are we doing anything they prohibited? Have we added anything they did not command?
3. And if, in fact, we find that we are not acting in line with their commandments, we ought to evaluate the reasons for so diverging. If we’ve omitted or changed or added anything, have we done so for good biblical reasons? For example, was their command or prohibition clearly limited to a particular church, a particular situation, or a particular time, so that it would no longer apply to us? If we’ve added something, what effect does this addition have on our fulfillment of the other commands? Does it detract from their fulfillment? Does it facilitate their fulfillment?
The sum of the matter, again, is this: Because I believe that the apostles’ teachings are to be received as the very words of our Lord, I think it is extremely important that we be doing this kind of self-evaluation. If, having done so, we should find that the apostles truly gave the churches a particular command or prohibition, and if we find that our practices are truly not in conformity with this commands or prohibition, and if we find that we are truly without sound biblical reasons for not conforming, shouldn’t we change what we’re doing?
2 comments:
Yeah, I have been harping on the apostles quite a bit, but I do acknowledge that everything they taught was grounded firmly upon the Old Testament scriptures.
We absolutely need to consider the OT backgrounds to all the practices of the New Testament church. The thing is that through the lens of the apostolic tradition, I believe we can do this more accurately.
For example, there are two OT insitutions upon which various theologians say the NT worship service ought to be based: the temple or the synagogue. Now a service based upon the model of temple worship is likely to be very different indeed from a service modeled on the synagogue meeting. So which do we use?
Going by the OT alone, it would be difficult, for me at least, to tell which of these models would be the most appropriate. This is the kind of issue, then, for which the apostolic tradition is quite helpful. Upon which of these institutions do the apostles seem to be modelling the NT assembly? temple? synagogue? some combination of the two? I tend to think the evidence weighs heavily toward the synagogue model.
Yes, when it comes to worship and church practices, there is just as much to learn in the Old Testament. But another advantage of focusing upon the apostles teaching, is that it gives us guidance, even on how to approach the rest of the scriptures that address these issues.
By the way, I checked out the worship book you recommened. It looks tremendous. A lot of heavy-hitters among the contributors.
sounds like you don't believe the red letters in your bible carry more weight than the other ones?????
good!
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