Why these 4 foundations of the early Church still matter today

What needs to change when a person decides to follow Christ? David Instone-Brewer looks at four ways the first Christians answered the question and the implications for us today

The commitment and zeal of missionaries in the 19th century left a remarkable legacy; today, the vast majority of Christians live in countries once considered foreign mission fields. Nevertheless, it’s clear that mistakes were made, including their desire to teach new converts British rules of etiquette along with the gospel. In the minds of some missionaries, these were inseparable. Even today, maxims such as “cleanliness is next to godliness” or “manners maketh man” are mistakenly thought to come from the Bible. A similar situation existed in the first century when the gospel was shared with Gentiles. Many Jewish believers wanted to teach them all the rules of Judaism along with the good news about the Jewish Messiah. 

Some Pharisees who were converted said that in order to join the kingdom, Gentile believers must be circumcised and submit to all the other laws of Jewish ceremony and cleanliness (Acts 15:5). Paul had many arguments with them, which undoubtedly included some strong language at times. He was so frustrated by their insistence that Gentile converts be circumcised that he even wrote that he wished they’d “go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (Galatians 5:12). 

Christian change

But although the first-century Jewish believers and Victorian missionaries should have been more tolerant regarding dress, eating habits and etiquette, some pagan customs definitely had to change. And this has always been a fundamental question Christians have grappled with – what exactly must change when a person decides to follow Christ?