Let me start with a couple of distinctions.
First century Christians:
1. baptized military personnel.
2. baptized men with political authority.
How do Jehovah's Witnesses differ from first century Christians?
by Vanderhoven7 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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punkofnice
3. Didn't shun.
4. Didn't go door knocking
5. Were genuine people, not snobs
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luckynedpepper
6. Ate meat sacrificed to idols
7. Wore beards
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punkofnice
8. Didn't worship a bunch of bullies called the Governing Body(tm)
9. Didn't protect paedophiles
10. Didn't shun Christ by refusing the wine and bread
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TonusOH
I think the biggest difference would be a reliance on a personal relationship with God versus getting everything filtered through a governing body of men who acted as gatekeepers to salvation.
Also, they probably didn't believe in 'Bible chronology.'
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peacefulpete
That's not an easy question. The earliest christian records already show huge diversity of thought,doctrine and practice. The authentic works of Paul show him trying to corral Christians to his spin on Christianity revealing that his was not the same as others. He seems to be tolerant of charismatics but not a promoter. Early church father's show a Christianity completely foreign to anything today. There was no Christian Canon,with hundreds of writings, now lost, in circulation. The orthodoxy that eventually dominated spent the next thousand years beating down holdouts and schisms. They never fully succeeded.
I'll sum by reminding everyone that nearly every new sect has asserted they were reestablishing "true" or "original" Christianity
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Vidqun
11. Beardless spectators looking on at the memorial.
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Vanderhoven7
So many good additions.
12 First century Christians believed people could be saved simply by hearing and believing the gospel the Apostles preached.
13. First century Christians were all born again children of God.
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truth_b_known
The first Christians were Jews practicing Judaism while practicing the altruistic lifestyle Jesus' preached about.
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14. There were no books used to interpret scripture.
15. There were no extra-scriptural books or magazines.
16. There was no Bible. Just the Torah and some letters written (Mostly by Paul).
17. There were no requirements to become baptized.
18. There was no obsession with being different.
19. There was no obsession with man-made rules and regulations (exception: Paul did this).
20. The practice of Apostolic Succession (exception: Paul. Paul pulled a Rutherford and declared himself an Apostle).
21. Christians were required to sell all personal property and donate the proceeds to the church (communal living).
22. Those who travelled to visit the various churches were self-employed instead of living off donations and "green-handshakes".
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Vanderhoven7
Very impressive TBK.
Just a couple of technical concerns
Communal sharing was voluntary (Acts 5:4) and Paul's ministry was recognized by the Apostles. (2Peter 3:15-16)