10 Marks of the Early Church

Credit for this list goes to David Fairchild (h/t Evangelical Outpost). David writes:

Rodney Stark and other sociologists tell us there were 10 values of
early Christians that stood in stark (no pun intended) contrast to the
pluralistic pagan culture of Rome. Let’s prayferfully think through
these values and match them to the witness of our own churches. Do we
see the city existing for us or do we see our church and our lives
existing for the city?

What are the 10 values?

1. They refused to attend blood thirsty entertainment. They wouldn’t go to
   gladiatorial events because they believed it defiled humans who were
   created in the image of God. This made them appear to be anti-social.
   Tertullian and Augustine both write about these events in a negative
   light.
2. They did not serve in the military to support Caesar’s wars of conquest, which made them appear weak.
3. They were against abortion and infanticide. In this culture, both were
   considered acceptable. To throw your baby out on the dung heap if you
   didn’t want it was not taboo.
4. They empowered women by showing their value and dignity in places of
   learning and service which had previously been exclusively for men.
   Christians held women in high regard and treasured them rather than
   viewing them as just a step above expendable children and servants.
5. They were against sex outside of marriage. This fidelity was considered
   odd and against culture. Sex was viewed as nothing more than a desire
   like eating or sleeping. Christians held a high view of the bed and
   kept it pure and would not engage in sex outside of marriage.
6. They were against homosexual relationships. This was odd in a time when same sex practice was not frowned upon.
7. They were exceptionally generous with their resources. They shared what
   they had with one another and welcomed others in with a hospitality
   that was unparalleled.
8. They were radically for the poor. In a time when the poor and
   downtrodden were viewed as getting what they deserved, they were
   aggressively committed to loving and serving people in the margins of
   society.
9. They mixed races and social classes in ways that were unseen in their gatherings, and for it they were considered scandalous.
10. They believed only Christ was the way to salvation. This was in a time
    when everyone had a god and could believe something entirely different
    and it was totally acceptable to be polytheists and pluralistic.
    Christians dared claim that Jesus was the only way and refused to bend
    to other gods.

How does this apply to us today? Think about each item in this list.

The early church refused to see entertainment that they felt defiled humans. Think hard about that for a minute. Their rationale was not that it defiled God, but that it defiled humans created in the image of God. How much entertainment do we take in today that defiles people? Ever seen most reality shows? They parade both the willing and the unsuspecting out for us to make fun of. It's not bloody like the gladiatorial matches, but in many ways it is exactly the same. The biggest difference is that we don't have to go to the Coliseum to see it. Today we have it beamed directly into our homes. Movies like Jackass or gross-out comedies are just as bad. Ogling people doing stupid things on YouTube also. Yes, our flesh thinks it's funny, but so does everyone else that is not Christian.

I'm not sure how I feel about the military. I really need to flesh out what I think before just throwing it up here. It's complicated and I don't want to offend anyone.

I completely agree with 3, 5, 6, and 10. I agree to the point that I will not discuss them here, because they are so clear cut.

Number 4 I really think that we need to work on, same as 9. Are we including people, or generally tolerating them. In our church, which I remind you is quite small, we are predominately middle class white people, with only two or three families that are minority. I've never talked to any of them about it because I see it as a non-issue, but then I'm white and have never known anything different. We're all just people, and we're the same color on the inside. The same goes for women. There are women in the church whose opinions I respect more than I do some men. I hold my wife in the highest regard because she is doing a job that I don't think I could, and that's staying home with our children and homeschooling them. I don't think that someone should be looked down upon because they are a woman.

The trickiest issue on this list is number 8. I think that we have a good heart (and if anyone from the church reads this, know I'm including myself in it) but I just feel like we get so consumed by people that don't live in the United States that we ignore those in our immediate area. I'm just as bad about this. I don't know anyone in the area that I don't go to church with or serve on some city board with, and the poor are typically not those people. There is one ministry that the church does which is absolutely wonderful, and it helps out children all over the area. We hopefully can do more soon.

One quick comment about number 7. I think that we are insanely generous with our resources as a church, considering the size we are. We provide money for people in need, but many of us put in a fair bit of time to things that we aren't getting anything in return for, nor do we expect it. For some of us, time and willingness is the best way we can provide resources. I know that I can do more though.