What should the Church look like?

This could very easily do in the History forum as well.

It seems to be taken for granted that the church should look as much like it did in the apostolic era as possible. This is, after all, much of the basis for the claims of our Catholic and Orthodox friends; they claim that their churches stand in a direct, organic line going back to the Apostles and that not only their theology but their forms are of a piece with Apostolic practice.

Similarly, in Protestantism there has always been a repristination movement; indeed, the Reformation can be seen as an ad fontes movement, but I think it was more theological than practical or liturgical. There the idea has been to recover a theological perspective which mirrors that of the Apostles and which properly reflects biblical teaching.

It can be argued either way on both approaches. It can be argued that both approaches have been effective or not, and the conclusion is often driven more by a confessional commitment than by careful analysis.

Be that as it may, I have often wondered, more fundamentally, whether it is even salient to try to "look as much like the first century church" as possible. Of course, we'd have to define what that means and, since I am a Protestant and am fine with the idea that the Reformation represented a recovery of apostolic faith and thought, I am speaking more about forms and structure. I am talking about the presence of bishops, high liturgy; or, on the other hand, Anabaptist communitarian minimalism, and whatnot.

Don't misunderstand me, I am NOT asking whether these things were elements of the early church or not. I am asking whether it matters. Correspondingly, I am not asking whether the Plymouth Brethren are right in their ecclesiology; i.e. I am NOT asking whether this repristination is more properly referenced in churches which minimalize liturgy and form to the point of "tent making" elders and no marks of office whatsoever, etc. I am asking whether it matters.

The Reformation is instructive here, I believe. The Reformers, with as much as they changed, did not write a great deal on the subject, and when they did they were concerned with either continuity on the one hand (Luther, the Anglicans and the more conservative Reformation), or disciplined order on the other (the Reformed of their many varieties). Their primary concern was theological. They believed that a right theology would drive the way the church looked (Lex Credendi, Lex Orandi).

Another point here is the use of vernacular languages over against the use of specifically liturgical languages (Latin, Slavonic, Greek, etc.). Is there a good argument for the use of a language in worship that is not the primary language of the congregants beyond didactic purposes? I.e. does it have any inherent religious or spiritual use or significance?

I do not have my mind made up on this and I apologize if it is a mess, so here is the take away:

Is it good, useful and right to insist on a return to biblical forms of government and worship? If so, why, and if so, to what degree should such a return be expected? Is the Holy Spirit constrained to such uses? Has He constrained Himself to them? Isn't the church the Body of Christ among every nation, tribe and tongue, having forms common to those people provided they are in keeping with biblically moral precepts?

This last question gives you some idea of my inclination.

Thank you in advance for your responses. I am not sure there is a right answer here, I just want to hear your thoughts.

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the Church ought to look like Christ

It may drive the way a (not the) church 'looks" but looks can easily be deceiving and scripture warns to not judge a book by it's cover.

the Church is not a building or organization, it is the body of saints. There are many "church groups" today, all saying they are the real deal and yet, the doctrine they teach varies greatly betwixt them (I felt like making a KJV "only" comment here, so I opted for "betwixt").

Our mission is to make sure we truly have the holy Spirit in our heart and if so, to be led to where others gather who also have the holy Spirit in their hearts. Such individuals and groups are THE Church

The major problem I have with the Church is that from fairly early it was assumed that we have to agree on doctrine. Not just basic stuff like Jesus dying for us, but detailed formal theology expressed in non-Biblical language.

My ideal for the Church is what I experienced in grad school. Perhaps my memory is over idealized But as I remember it, at that time there was a single campus Christian fellowship, Intervarsity. Everyone was active in it: Catholics, conservatives, liberals. There was a weekly prayer group and various small groups. Sunday worship was primarily at two nearby churches, one Presbyterian and the other Catholic, both of which welcomed the whole group. (The Catholic chapel practiced open communion.) Social events were hosted by a fraternity that was primarily Christian.

Shortly after I left this fell apart. The Intervarsity national leadership were irritated that the local chapter allowed non-conservatives to participate fully. The Catholics clamped down on open communion and full participation by Catholics in eclectic activities. The national fraternity wasn't happy that a chapter was primarily Christian. The Navigators started a chapter that competed with Intervarsity.

There are so many Christians with so many different needs and tastes that we're bound to have a variety of worship styles and practices. I think this is just fine. I value traditions such as the Lutheran, Reformed, Wesleyan and Catholic, and think it's just fine to have congregations that emphasize them. I have no problem with a million denominations, or (as things are mostly working out) a million different non-denominations churches. While I don't reject non-denominational churches, there are practical advantages to denominations, if viewed as support organizations for local churches and clergy. It's useful for clergy to have someplace to get support, and also to provide mutual accountability.

Christianity has always had variety. The Catholic church had different orders that maintained their own traditions. But these should be viewed as all part of one Church. They should all recognize each other, have mutual communion, and work together in mission, and other community activities. Most communities these days have clergy associations that host joint worship services for holidays, coordinate purchasing of supplies to get better prices, etc. But not all churches can participate in all aspects.

There is a denomination that came out of the Dispensational movement of the early 1900's and today it's called hyper (ultra)-dispensational (C.R. Stam, etc). It's peppered with Pharisee leaven and claims two different gospels existed in the early church (one preached by Peter and the other by Paul). This can not be the Truth, because Paul said let him that preaches a gospel that is different from the gospel I have preached, be accursed.

Either Peter and Paul were preaching the same gospel, or Peter was accursed.

Jesus said just a LITTLE leaven [erroneous scripture teachings] will (not might, but will) leaven the whole lump of dough.

Turns out that Jesus does have a wondeful sense of humor after all; he calls us Dough Brains

The church should like the congregation is full of young people who understand they collect together for the strength to oppose the sexually permisssive environment elsewhere.
By oppose, I mean learn and practice the verbal responses to peers who see nothing wrong in being sexually promiscuous.

These young people need instructions starting very early on in their church lives, long long before teen age years.

They need to understand the abuse of children that takes place in single mother families that are now 50% of all families.
They need schooling on Sunday and during the week, too

The church needs to educate them that fatherless kids are abused because of these sexually active 14 year, (between ages 12 and 26, when they now marry on average today).

Instead of praying, singing, kneeling, standing, sitting, silently accepting dry Bible sermons America needs the truth, that 66% of all the 1.2 million annual abortions every year are by Christian girls under age 26.

They need to know that 1.5 million babies, an equal number of illegitimate babies, are born every year, too

The true Christian Congregation should look like this in every detail.

They respect the bible as GOD’s word- 2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

All members believe the same teachings- Galatians 1:8-9
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

There are no divisions- 1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

They are identified by love- John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

They understand the “mystery” of GOD- Colossians 1:9b-10, 25-26
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.

They know GOD’s will and teach it to others- Matthew 13:11 and 28:19-20a He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

They understand Jesus and the Father’s relationship- Matthew 11:27b
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

They understand the scriptures regarding Jesus- Luke 24:44-45
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

They are persecuted- Acts 28:22
But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

They are found world wide- Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.

They are taken to court due to their faith- Matthew 10:18
On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

There are no female preachers that take the lead in the congregation-1 Timothy 2:12 They should be silent and not be allowed to teach or to tell men what to do.

Women dress modestly-1 Timothy 2:9 I would like for women to wear modest and sensible clothes. They should not have fancy hairdos, or wear expensive clothes, or put on jewelry made of gold or pearls.

This is what I compare every Christian denomination to.

1 Thess 4:9-10

9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. NIV

If a church is not doing this, the rest is just a lot of noise.

Without love the rest is useless and likely can't be achieved anyhow.