Originally Posted by
revelarts
Looks interesting even though it sounds as if it's wants to toss out some "early church" teaching as it wants to embrace "early church" life and power.
seems to me you can't have one without the other though.
the teaching was counter culture.
It was in stark contrast to a full on pagan multi cultural Mediterranean society fill with worship of many gods as well as some philosophical atheism, 100% authoritarian gov't, religious and secular amoral sexual practices, society sanctioned polygamy, secret religious cults, polytheism, slavery, drug and alcohol abuse, witchcraft, demonology, local superstitions, etc etc . As well as in contrast to the stiff and exclusive jewish tradition of the day.
But the Christian good news of Jesus Death and Rising from the dead for the forgiveness of sins of ALL peoples...
(Sins God outlined by Moses BTW) ...and eternal life after death. With a personal connection to God and access to the power for a lifestyle of love and Christian holiness/morals ripped through that culture and changed the world.
But you don't get get the change without the doctrinal beliefs. Primarily death, resurrection, sin, forgiveness, eternally life, love and moral living as defined by the apostles and prophets.
But the escliasiality structures and church orders are not mandatory.
The early christians did it "house to house" "underground".