How we were meant to be

The big question about the book of Acts is whether it is a pattern we should have kept going, or a nascent stage of development we were right to graduate from. To put it another way, does Acts describe a time of childhood innocence that we were always meant to outgrow into manhood, or a kind of innocence that we have wrongly slipped from?

What do you make of this peek into first century Christianity?

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42-47).

There is a lot of talk abroad these days about "engaging culture" and "transforming culture," as if it were a proposal for an add-on to the normal Christian life. I wonder, if we were living the way these Christians were 2,000 years ago, wouldn't "transforming culture" happen normally, organically? Would we have to add anything? Would we have to devise strategies? Does it even help to devise strategies if the fundamentals of fellowship, prayer, and feeding on the Word are not there?

When Daniel caught the attention of the satraps who wanted him dead, it was just for living his Christian life in the open. He would pray by his open window three times a day, not for show or to "engage culture," but just as a custom he had developed between himself and God. He would talk about God in public every chance he got, not to self-consciously "engage culture" but just because his daily speech was of a seamless piece with his inner heart.

Is it possible that all this current talk about "engaging culture" is a bad sign? A symptom of illness? If we were just living the simple, Acts-style life, wouldn't they come to us?

And "the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47) is pretty impressive "cultural transformation."

To hear commentaries by Andrée Seu, click here.