Historical Perspective of the Ministry - Essay Example

REFORMED THEOLOGY Historical perspective of the ministry In the past, the traditions of the church were understood by early Christians as a revelation from God to his people through His mouth piece the prophets and apostles. As such, the traditions were not passed down like the other communal traditions, but were rather handed over to the people from the messengers of God. The prophets and apostles were anointed people used by God to communicate his will to the people and all people obeyed without doubt of the source. The apostle Paul himself writes in 1 Corinthians 11:23 & 15:3 that he received the Gospel from the Lord and he delivers it to his readers. Converting to Christianity meant the absolute belief in the teachings of Christ and serving Christ to the end with the hope of getting eternal life. Therefore the early church relied more on the teachings of the apostles on the expected practice of Christianity. There was no compromise to anything that fell short of Christian practice; nothing worldly was accepted in the early church but only true dedication to Christ. Paul’s instruction to the church was to reject those who did not follow the traditions delivered by the disciples1. Self sacrifice for the sake of Christ was a common practice among believers thus they perservered persecution for the sake of Christ.The roles in the church were subdivided to various genders with the men having the greater say in the church. Women were more of subordinates with little role to play in the church2. Decisions concerning women in the traditional church were made by the female gender without much approval from the females. Leadership in the church was in the hands of men with women not supposed to contribute directly in the leadership. Also, baptism was part of the practice of the early church. Baptism was a preserve of the adults only who understood the Holy Scripture and was done after the person fasted. Practice of baptism was carried out by religious leader after the person concerned had a clear understanding of the Christian religion. Running water was the most preferred venue for baptism to symbolize life. The holy trinity was involved in the ritual through immersion in the water three times in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Only in the absence of running water was still water preferred. In case both the running water and still water were absent, water was poured on the persons head three times by the minister baptizing them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Holy Eucharist was also consumed after the baptism in the presence of witnesses to symbolize sharing in the faith in Christ. Per taking of the Holy Communion was a reserve of only those baptized. Holy Communion in the early church was referred to as breaking of the bread and was carried out on Sunday. Sunday was the new Christian Sabbath day. Bread and wine were shared among believers to symbolize the body of Christ and the blood of Christ shed on the cross. Celebrating the Eucharist was in obedience to Christ’s command to his disciples to celebrate the Eucharist in memory of him. After Christianity and Judaism drifted apart, the reading of the scripture was added to the Sunday celebration. Reading of the Holy Scripture was not part of the Holy Communion before, but was incorporated into the Christian service later on. Modern ministry perspective The practice of Christianity has changed with the changing times to accommodate the changing world. However, the original message being preached by ministers still remain focused to the original message of salvation through Christ which is free and open for all. The belief of the original teaching of Christianity is the actual definition of faith in Christ. Christians still use the same scripture used by the early church, though not in its original language. Translation of the scripture has been made into different languages to enable as many people as possible access the Holy Scripture in their most comfortable language of choice. The traditions in the modern church are the practices and norms passed over from generation to generation. The tradition in the modern church is the memory of the Christian practice and teaching3. The traditions are passed over from other believers to new believers. It is not the individual teaching in the tradition that matters, but rather the participation of the believers in the traditions like the sharing of the Holy Communion. However, most if not all of these practices are in line with the biblical teachings on the Christian life. Christ is viewed like a candle among the Christians through his light4. The light of Christ illuminates the lives of Christians. Just like in the book of John 15:5, Christ is the tree and the Christians are the branches. Christ is at the center of all Christian services. Self sacrifice for Christ is also common in todays ministry just like in the past. Christian matyres opted to die than to deny Christ. The matyres are an example of absolute believe in the gospel at all times even in death. The role of women has also changed with more women involved in church leadership. Apart from giving their male counterparts the support they need and caring for their families, female preachers are involved in the ministry. The gospel is being preached by both genders alike without discrimination and to all nations. The gospel is no longer a preserve for the chosen nation only but is being preached to all nations. The practice of baptism has been maintained in the modern Christian practice. Baptism of new converts is a practice to initiate new members into Christianity. Teaching of the Christian way of life is part of the conversion process by new believers. However, the practice of baptism of infants is a new practice in the modern ministry. Infant baptism is being practiced in the modern church with children receiving teaching on Christian living as they grow. Using of the more familiar examples in the ministry is common in the modern church. The bible was written in the traditional Jewish setting, thus most of the teachings were based on the Jewish traditions. To accommodate the changing world, ministers are using examples from the given environment for the scripture to apply better to the recipients of the message and influence a better understanding of the same. Application of biblical teachings to modern life give believers a better understanding of the scriptures well as help them connect better with the scripture. Christians take the Holy Communion in memory of Christ suffering on the cross. Bread and a drink are taken in memory of Christ with the scripture being read during the Holy Communion. This is different from the traditional practice where the bread and wine was taken without any scripture reading. The oneness of the church is what keeps the modern church in line with the early church. Sunday has been maintained as the Christians’ Sabbath day. However, the practice of total rest on the Sabbath is no longer being observed. Unlike before, those involved in the ministry are seeking financial help from the congregation to continue with the ministry. In the early church, Paul and other apostles worked for their upkeep even as they preached the gospel. Nowadays, there are full time ministers being sponsored by churches to spread the gospel. Use of technology for mass communication of the gospel is also part of the changes in the modern ministry operation. Bibliography Castillo, Dennis A. 2005. The early church. Mystic, CT: Twenty-third Publications. Hiles, Lynn. 2007. The revelation of Jesus Christ: an open letter to the church from a modern perspective of the book of Revelation. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers. Liveris, Leonie B. 2005. Ancient taboos and gender prejudice: challenges for Orthodox women and the church. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate Publishers. Williams, Daniel H. 2005. Evangelicals and tradition: the formative influence of the early church. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic. Read More