The Early Church

THE EARLY CHURCH

The members of the early church still saw themselves as belonging to the Jewish religion even though they now had a revelation of the life of Jesus within them through the work of the Holy Spirit. They went to the synagogue every Saturday like good churchgoers, but they could not celebrate their newness of life in the Spirit together in the formal structure and liturgy of the synagogue so they met in households where they could grow their new way of life together in an informal friendly way and in the freedom of the Spirit.                
Their style of celebrating this way of life is described in the Book of Acts.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Apostles’ Doctrine.
The early apostles spoke God’s word and trusted the Holy Spirit to teach each person how to hear from Jesus and how to live their life in partnership with him in a way that pleased the Father. That was the challenge that the apostles and prophets and pastors and teachers gave to each individual and to each group who gathered together in Jesus’ name, to build up their faith in their walk with God. This was something entirely new and scary because of the personal and individual freedom and responsibility that it brought but Jesus had said ‘I am the way the truth and the life’ and ‘no man can come to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6)

Fellowship
Our fellowship (koinonia) is an ongoing conversation of sharing the blessing of the ‘Jesus within us’ life. The Community of Faith is us together heeding another person’s experience of Jesus, no matter how different that experience might be to ours. Paul wrote to the church in Rome commending them on their inner knowledge of Jesus and he was confident that they could speak comfort and wisdom into one another’s’ lives.  
Romans 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to put one another in mind of God’s Word.

Breaking of bread – Communion
We sit ‘at table’ with one another and beak bread and drink the cup together. There doesn’t have to be an actual table – just people of faith remembering the bread as the body of Christ and the cup as his life-giving blood. That table is a place of the revelation of God to us of who he is and what he does.
Abraham sat at table (??ulh?ân; a table - or spread out as a meal) and offered three loaves of bread to The Lord Adonai who revealed himself as God in the form of three angels.
Genesis 18:2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favour in your sight, do not pass by your servant… And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘please quickly make three cakes of bread of fine flour!’ and he set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 
There he received the revelation from God that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed.
King David sat at table with the Lord (Psalm 23) and experienced total security even in the presence of his enemies and received a revelation of the living hope from God for the future comfort and fulfillment of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The two disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus did not recognize who Jesus was until the Holy Spirit opened their eyes and revealed the risen Jesus to them, as they sat with him ‘at table’ (kataklin?? - recline at a meal) and they broke bread together.
Luke 24:30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
Holy Spirit still does this with us today ‘at table’ with the Lord and with one another.

Prayers
Communion is a time to have prayer together ‘at table’.
1Timothy 2:1 First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and gracious in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth