The early church grew because they kept on teaching and preaching the message of Jesus Christ despite opposition (Acts 5:42). When Peter and John were told not to teach at all in the name of Jesus, they said they could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard as witnesses of the resurrected Lord (Acts 4:18-20). Saul spearheaded a persecution effort against the church in Jerusalem by dragging people to prison (Acts 8:3), but those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4).  Multitudes were added by the Lord to His church because they heard the message of the gospel and believed (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14). As the word of God spread, the number of disciples multiplied greatly; moreover, even many of the priests were obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). The gospel message must be heard before any will believe and obey it (Rom. 10:17). The opponents of the church in Jerusalem noted that the early church had filled Jerusalem with the doctrine of Christ (Acts 5:28).

As we come to our gospel meeting this week, let us have the same determination: to fill Flatwoods and the surrounding areas with the doctrine of Christ. Perhaps you can be like Cornelius who called together his relatives and close friends to hear the gospel (Acts 10:24). Perhaps you could be like Andrew who brought his brother to the Lord (Jn. 1:40-42). If someone is skeptical, maybe you could be like Philip who simply said to Nathanael “Come and see” (Jn. 1:46).

The sad reality is not everyone will obey the gospel (Mt. 7:13-14; Rom. 10:16), but we must work to give them an opportunity. The sower scatters the seed even though some lands on the wayside soil (Lk. 8:5). The seed is the word of God (Lk. 8:11). If no seed is sown, then no one will receive the word that is able to save their souls (James 1:21). Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10). While Jesus accomplished essential tasks to bring salvation that are not required of us (such as dying on the cross), He also went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Mt. 4:23; 9:35). This is an essential part to the lost being saved in which He has called us to participate by spreading the soul-saving message (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:47).

This week will be a great opportunity to do that as we explore lessons which powerfully demonstrate how Jesus is Lord. His fulfillment of scripture and His resurrection from the dead prove He is indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah (Pss. 16:10; 110:1; Isa. 53:3-8). One can clearly see this if guided by a capable teacher (Acts 8:30-36). Only through Jesus can one enter heaven (Jn. 14:1-6). Without Him, people die in their sins (Jn. 8:24; Rom. 3:9-12, 23; 6:23). The gospel of Christ will be preached this week. Through this message, God will save those who believe (1 Cor. 1:21). However, flaming fire awaits those who do not obey the gospel (2 Thess. 1:8). Eternal souls hang in the balance. Let us spread the saving news far and wide.

“Tradition” is the way English versions of the Bible translate the word paradosis, which means something handed down or transmitted in the way of teaching. Traditions may be good or bad. The word is used of divine traditions that were handed down by apostolic authority (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6). These we obviously should keep.

However, there are also evil traditions. Colossians 2:8 tells us, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Empty lifestyles of sin are handed down by tradition; by inspiration Peter referred to the former lives of recipients of his epistles as “your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,” (2 Pet. 1:18). Both passages describe traditions that stand in stark contrast to Christ. When one becomes a Christian, these traditions are left behind in order to follow the Lord Jesus.

“Tradition” is also used of practices to which men clung in Bible times instead of keeping God’s commandments. In Mark 7:5, Jesus was asked by the scribes and Pharisees why His disciples did not keep the tradition of the elders. Jesus replied by rebuking them: “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do” (Mk. 7:6-8). Jesus went on to highlight how their tradition of Corban enabled men to disregard the command to honor their parents (Mk. 7:9-13). The statements of Jesus are very clear regarding how He feels about these kinds of traditions. He said, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mk. 7:9). Jesus rebuked them because they were, “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down” (Mk. 7:13).

Religious traditions are a particularly thorny matter. We all have particular patterns we go through in our religious lives. How many songs we sing before we have prayer or whether or not the Lord’s supper is before or after the sermon are habits of worship service that we do not deem binding. But some religious traditions are elevated to a place they should not occupy. When tradition supersedes what is commanded in the word of God, then we are in trouble. Some religious traditions may appear good and right, but in reality keep us from truly following the commands of God. In reference to his life before he became a Christian, Paul said “I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Gal. 1:14). No doubt many of the things he was taught in Judaism were good, but any traditions that were different or at odds with what the Lord Jesus commanded had to be abandoned. We must do the same today. We should surrender to the Lordship of Jesus by dispensing with any religious tradition for which we do not have authority in His written will, the New Testament.

Jesus said in Luke 10:2, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” At this time Jesus was sending men out before Him, two by two, as heralds of the kingdom of God. Few were ready to do the work of sharing the message of God’s kingdom, but a great harvest awaited if they would go to the work. On another occasion, Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (Jn. 4:35). The time to bring people into the Lord’s kingdom is now. Let us pray for more soul winners in the Lord’s church who will work to bring in a great harvest.

Paul was one of the greatest soul winners in the history of the church; by the grace of God, he labored more abundantly than the other apostles (1 Cor. 15:10). He trained others to do the work he was doing. In Acts 16:1-3, Paul took Timothy under his wing and had him go with him on his journey. Timothy was Paul’s fellow worker with God (1 Thess. 3:2). Timothy stood out because, instead of seeking his own interests, he cared for the souls of others; Paul and Timothy served with one another in the gospel like father and son (Phil. 2:19-24). Paul told Timothy, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16). Paul’s final charge to Timothy included these words: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). While others would turn away from the truth, Paul urged Timothy to “be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5).

Timothy would have to carry on the work after Paul went to be with the Lord. Yet, just as Paul had found Timothy, a faithful worker to whom he could teach the crucial vocation of being an evangelist, so also Timothy was to commit what he had learned to faithful men who could teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). The church of the living God is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). As the people of God, we uphold the truth of the gospel for the world to see.

When the Godhead asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah replied, “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6:8). Let us have the same attitude today regarding the work of evangelism. Not all of us are to preach before an audience. Much of Jesus’ work was one-on-one conversations with people like Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1-19) and the Samaritan woman (Jn. 4:1-30). Have a Bible study with someone in your circle of influence. If you are not able to lead a Bible study, you can invite someone who is able to lead into your home to study with one of your friends. The word of God is the seed of the kingdom (Lk. 8:11). If we plant the seed in the hearts of those around us, God has promised a great harvest.

In Acts 2:42, we read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Notice how “the apostles’ doctrine” and “fellowship” are coupled together in the sentence by the word and between them and the comma after the word fellowship. Instead of giving a comma after each of these items as if they were simply a list (e.g. doctrine, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers), the punctuation pairs the apostles’ doctrine with fellowship. Greek editions of the New Testament have this punctuation as well.

The early church engaged in each of these activities. We may readily see how some of these items could fit together. If we break bread, then we will offer prayer to God while doing so. We also view this as fellowship. However, the linkage we may fail to notice is doctrine and fellowship, yet from the way the sentence reads, this association is emphasized.

We cannot have fellowship unless we all continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. Doctrine means teaching. What the inspired apostles taught in the New Testament is our basis for unity and cooperation. To Corinth the apostle Paul wrote:

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor. 1:9,10.)

In the context of Acts 2, Peter had just delivered a sermon about Jesus. His life attested by miraculous activity (v. 22), His crucifixion by wicked hands (v. 23), and His resurrection from the grave as the fulfillment of prophecy (vv. 24-35) all pointed to the conclusion that Jesus indeed is Lord and Messiah (v. 36). The crowd was convicted by these words (v. 37). They believed Jesus was Lord and Messiah and that they were guilty of putting Him to death. When they asked the inspired apostle Peter what to do (v. 37), he replied, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (v. 38). These are teachings upon which we must agree if we are to have fellowship.

The apostles’ teaching regarding receiving salvation is plain. We cannot have fellowship with those who teach something other than what the apostles taught in the New Testament regarding how to receive remission of sins. If the apostle Peter says baptism saves us (1 Pet. 3:21), then we cannot teach differently. If the apostle John faithfully records that Jesus taught we must be born of water and the spirit to enter the kingdom (John 3:3-5), then we cannot teach another way of entry and remain in fellowship with God and His people. The apostle Paul teaches that we become children of God through faith by being baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26, 27), that baptism places one into Christ, uniting one with Christ’s death, freeing one from sin (Rom. 6:3-7), that baptism is a burial,  the working of God that makes us alive and forgives us of all trespasses (Col. 2:12-13), and that it is God’s mercy to save, the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). We must continue steadfastly in this teaching. We cannot have fellowship with those who teach and practice something other than what the apostles have taught on this vital subject.

Jesus Christ is universal head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23; Col. 1:18). No mere man should try to supplant the place of Jesus. After all, He built the church (Mt. 16:18) and purchased it with own precious blood (Acts 20:28). The church wears His name (Rom. 16:16). To exalt another as head or wear another’s name should be repulsive to any who wish to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul addressed this problem at Corinth when he wrote: “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:12-13). Only Jesus Christ was crucified for us (1 Pet. 2:24). Into His name we were baptized (Acts 8:16; 10:48; 19:5), and there is no salvation in any other name than His (Acts 4:12). Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth (Mt. 28:18). Whatever we do must be done in His name, by His authority (Col. 3:17).

Each congregation of the Lord’s church is autonomous and self-governing. The New Testament shows that a plurality of men (called elders, shepherds, or bishops/overseers) supervise each congregation (Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), among which they labor (Acts 20:28; 1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The NT never mentions archbishops above these local leaders which would make decisions over multiple congregations; it only mentions Jesus Christ as the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) to whom elders, as stewards of souls entrusted to them (Titus 1:7), must give an account in the final day (Heb. 13:17).

While God’s wisdom is seen in each congregation of His church operating independently without human governing committees dictating policy to the local congregations, this does not mean that individual congregations of the Lord’s church never cooperate with each other in the Lord’s work. Acts 11:27-30 records a prophetic announcement that a great famine would come during the reign of Claudius Caesar. The disciples determined to send relief to the churches of Judea. The benevolent funds were sent to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:30). The church at Jerusalem did not order the church Antioch around. Neither did the congregation at Antioch dictate to the congregation at Jerusalem what it should do. Yet, funds were sent to help with a relief effort; the implication is the elders oversaw the distributing of necessities to the final recipients who were in need. Thus, the elders of a congregation may choose whether to opt into a scriptural work and cooperate with other congregations in the effort.

Moreover, congregations in Macedonia and Achaia gathered contributions for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9). From Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 16:1, the churches of Galatia were also gathering funds for the saints in Jerusalem. Just because an effort is big—supported by multiple congregations—does not make it wrong or unscriptural. There may be other reasons why an effort should or should not be supported. As long as each congregation remains autonomous, then many congregations may contribute to an effort overseen by elders in a local congregation. Great work that abounds through many thanksgivings to God is the result when congregations of the Lord’s church cooperate to help saints and all in need (2 Cor. 9:12-15). Let us seize opportunities afforded to us to do good and glorify God (Gal. 6:10).