Autonomy of the Early Church

[GoingByzantine]

Very often it comes up in discussion here in GT that the Early Church was actually a loose affiliation of different autonomous churches.

Today this same autonomy still exists in many bodies; from the Catholic Communion to the Lutheran Federation. There are many who still follow this autonomous setup. However there are some who choose to go it alone. My question is, why? Why go it alone when you can be in communion with your brethren?

 

[Albion]

Very often it comes up in discussion here in GT that the Early Church was actually a loose affiliation of different autonomous churches.

Today this same autonomy still exists in many bodies; from the Catholic Communion to the Lutheran Federation. There are many who still follow this autonomous setup. However there are some who choose to go it alone. My question is, why? Why go it alone when you can be in communion with your brethren?

But the Lutheran World Federation isn't in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. It is "going it alone," according to your overview, and for all intents and purposes, so is the Church of Rome, so...?

 

[GoingByzantine]

But the Lutheran World Federation isn't in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. It is "going it alone," according to your overview, and for all intents and purposes, so is the Church of Rome, so...?

I am wanting to know why someone would choose "lone wolf" Christianity, when they can be part of a communion of like minded believers.

 

[Albion]

I am wanting to know why someone would choose "lone wolf" Christianity, when they can be part of a communion of like minded believers.

OK, I just had difficulty with your example. I think you must mean that the RCC and the Lutheran World Federation are associations of like-minded Christians working together. So are you referring to Christians who won't associate with any congregation OR else on independent congregations, non-denoms, etc.?

 

[GoingByzantine]

OK, I just had difficulty with your example. I think you must mean that the RCC and the Lutheran World Federation are associations of like-minded Christians working together. So are you referring to Christians who won't associate with any congregation OR else on independent congregations, non-denoms, etc.?

Yeah, essentially.

I don't see why you wouldn't associate with like Christians. In the Early Church, congregations would write to each other, and would receive each other (or not receive each other).

Yet in todays world there are individuals who don't even see the need to got to a church, that confuses me the most. To a lesser extent non-denomination, or independent churches also confuse me; though even they often have loose affiliation to each other. However, a lone church that does not enjoy any communion with anybody else seems ripe for heresy imo. That is what I am most concerned about.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

I was a "lone wolf" for a long time. The town I was living in was extremely small, and everyone knew who I was as a teenager. When I found Christ, I didn't find a welcoming home at church. Just judgement, cruelty, and the feeling that I wasn't wanted and wasn't good enough. "Ummm, what's HE doing here?" was a common question I heard whispered. Made worse, I suffered from extremely bad social anxiety and idiopathic cranial facial erythema. Being in a public place where I was not wanted only made it worse.

My congregation now is quite different and welcoming. Not a problem in the world, and I've noticed that over the years my anxiety has diminished to almost nothing.

The answer for me is/was easy: People.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[Archie the Preacher]

I've known some non-denominational churches (congregations). It seems there are some (rather) loose 'networks' by which these congregations have contact with other Christians. At least one of the congregations I attended were non-aligned as the majority of the members did not hold with any one denomination for various reasons.

The danger of non-denominal congregations is the next pastor may or may not agree with the last pastor; or the tenor of the congregation or most importantly, the Bible itself.

I would not stay home on Sunday, were I somewhere I could not find a denominational church or MY denomination. On the other hand, I would listen very carefully to the teaching involved and compare it to Holy Writ.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Very often it comes up in discussion here in GT that the Early Church was actually a loose affiliation of different autonomous churches.

Today this same autonomy still exists in many bodies; from the Catholic Communion to the Lutheran Federation. There are many who still follow this autonomous setup. However there are some who choose to go it alone. My question is, why? Why go it alone when you can be in communion with your brethren?

When one has a bible in one's hand and believes that the bible in one's hand is all that one needs to be thoroughly equipped for every good work then one might think that other congregations and even other christians are superfluous and hence can be dispensed with.

 

[Targaryen]

When one has a bible in one's hand and believes that the bible in one's hand is all that one needs to be thoroughly equipped for every good work then one might think that other congregations and even other christians are superfluous and hence can be dispensed with.

As been seen in a number of examples.

 

[GoingByzantine]

I was a "lone wolf" for a long time. The town I was living in was extremely small, and everyone knew who I was as a teenager. When I found Christ, I didn't find a welcoming home at church. Just judgement, cruelty, and the feeling that I wasn't wanted and wasn't good enough. "Ummm, what's HE doing here?" was a common question I heard whispered. Made worse, I suffered from extremely bad social anxiety and idiopathic cranial facial erythema. Being in a public place where I was not wanted only made it worse.

My congregation now is quite different and welcoming. Not a problem in the world, and I've noticed that over the years my anxiety has diminished to almost nothing.

The answer for me is/was easy: People.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

That is something I never really thought of, I can see how someone with social anxiety might go "lone wolf". I remember how nervous I was the first time I went to my church home (I actually contemplated going for months), but I happily opened up.

 

[MKJ]

I am wanting to know why someone would choose "lone wolf" Christianity, when they can be part of a communion of like minded believers.

I've noticed that among some of the very conservative ones, they seem to interact with othrrs mainly at different sort of events. They worship at home on Sunday with their familiy, and the father generally seems to be seen as a sort of pastor. But they might go to a Christian concert, or camp, where they interact with other similar people.

 

[Targaryen]

I've noticed that among some of the very conservative ones, they seem to interact with othrrs mainly at different sort of events. They worship at home on Sunday with their familiy, and the father generally seems to be seen as a sort of pastor. But they might go to a Christian concert, or camp, where they interact with other similar people.

Those wouldn't exactly be lone wolves though, would they. I think the term lone wolf refers to a more modern effect of televangelism and the practise of solo scriptura.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Well ... I don't know. I had terrible social anxiety at one point. It was difficult for me to talk to people who would talk to me because I didn't know what to say, and I wasn't sure how to gracefully end a conversation. Interacting with people was just terribly awkward.

But God made me understand that I needed to be in a church.

I could tell you horror stories (to me) of having visited churches. One tiny congregation - everyone professed to be very old, but they looked many years younger. They asked ME to play the piano and sing (I don't even really play), and I was grabbed and hugged (fully body contact) tightly by strangers who were vibrating all over, AND there were outbursts of people speaking in tongues which I wasn't comfortable with. IIRC, that was my first attempt to "go to Church". LOL .... you have no idea how hard it was to try again after that! But I knew it was what would please God.

I had other difficult scenarios. One church was very crowded, and if I hadn't been pretty much wedged into a corner I would have run from the place, but I couldn't get out. They scared me half to death! And I've been to the Brownsville Revival, and heard people making animal sounds.

I enjoyed my time alone, at home, praying for hours, listening to worship music, reading my Bible. It was one of the sweetest times of my life. But I knew it wasn't the total of what God wanted for me. So ... I kept pushing, kept trying, and worked my way through many churches, learned much, had a wide variety of experiences.

Not only did I learn much about what was out there as far as churches, but I also became a good bit more adept socially through those hard lessons. I can talk to pretty much anyone in any situation now, make small talk with strangers, or get into deep and meaningful discussion with people I don't know. Begin, end conversations, and pretty much manage to do whatever is needed. Maybe that was part of what God wanted me to learn?

 

[~Anastasia~]

I do feel for people who are shut in for medical reasons, or have no transportation at all, or for some very extreme reasons really can't get to church or it's just too painful for them to be there - but the "reasons why someone can't go" and gives up on church altogether are often just excuses.

There is a tremendous danger in doing that. I believe that God may protect a sincere seeker who for some reason can't get to Church, because I've seen Him have mercy in situations where He was the only hope a person had. But ... if one is making excuses or being dishonest in any way and essentially rebelling against God - I think there is a danger of losing any such protection.

Rebellion makes one especially prone to delusion - which makes sense if God likens it to the sin of witchcraft. Pride is very often a companion sin, and also makes one prone to delusion. That high risk of delusion being coupled with the removal of one of the safeguards against it - the gathering of believers who could help in correcting the errors - just makes the situation potentially worse.

 

[Albion]

Yeah, essentially.

I don't see why you wouldn't associate with like Christians.

I agree with you on that...and it's one reason I feel more comfortable with Protestants than Catholics.

That's said with all theological considerations aside; I'm just speaking of feeling uncomfortable with the "We are the only true church" mentality, no matter which church it is.

In the Early Church, congregations would write to each other, and would receive each other (or not receive each other).

Yet in todays world there are individuals who don't even see the need to got to a church, that confuses me the most. To a lesser extent non-denomination, or independent churches also confuse me; though even they often have loose affiliation to each other. However, a lone church that does not enjoy any communion with anybody else seems ripe for heresy imo. That is what I am most concerned about.

Yes, I agree. The reason for this, I believe, is that the early church did not have nearly as many doctrines as almost any denomination we can shake a stick at these days. They knew the Savior, the Scriptures, the two sacraments Christ ordained, that he would come again shortly for his people, and not a lot else to worry about.

Over the years, the church went on defining, then reformers denied the validity of some of them, and then new insights altogether were introduced by some more recent religious movements. In other words, there is much more now for us to think "They're basically OK except for X and Y, which are heresies, and we ought not associate with false doctrine."

 

[MoreCoffee]

...

I could tell you horror stories (to me) of having visited churches. One tiny congregation - everyone professed to be very old, but they looked many years younger. They asked ME to play the piano and sing (I don't even really play), and I was grabbed and hugged (fully body contact) tightly by strangers who were vibrating all over, AND there were outbursts of people speaking in tongues which I wasn't comfortable with. IIRC, that was my first attempt to "go to Church". LOL .... you have no idea how hard it was to try again after that! But I knew it was what would please God.

I had other difficult scenarios. One church was very crowded, and if I hadn't been pretty much wedged into a corner I would have run from the place, but I couldn't get out. They scared me half to death! And I've been to the Brownsville Revival, and heard people making animal sounds.

...

Sounds too scary for me!

Vibrating hugs, not my cup of tea!

 

[~Anastasia~]

Sounds too scary for me!

Vibrating hugs, not my cup of tea!

Yes, it was quite the scarring experience, as you might guess from my very clear memory of it some years later.

I still can't believe that was my first attempt to visit a church in search of a fellowship, as an adult. It was really quite an extreme experience, probably the most so.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Yes, it was quite the scarring experience, as you might guess from my very clear memory of it some years later.

I still can't believe that was my first attempt to visit a church in search of a fellowship, as an adult. It was really quite an extreme experience, probably the most so.

THIS ^ is the best argument I can think of for "denominations". I don't agree with the Church being divided, as I don't think that was God's plan. But since she is, and this is what we've inherited - it's nice to have SOME idea of what to expect inside from the name over the door!!!

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Very often it comes up in discussion here in GT that the Early Church was actually a loose affiliation of different autonomous churches.

Today this same autonomy still exists in many bodies; from the Catholic Communion to the Lutheran Federation. There are many who still follow this autonomous setup. However there are some who choose to go it alone. My question is, why? Why go it alone when you can be in communion with your brethren?

The autonomous but loosely affiliated early church had as it's base the circulation of letters that were to become the bases of faith to tie them together. I don't see that as being a division except where the above groups exclude those who are not of their denominations for reasons outside of what the early church was practising. As a whole I still can see where the autonomity is being followed in the affiliation of common beliefs shared by all. K.I.S.S.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

"lone wolf" christians. ones who do not engage in fellowship. create a christian cult of self under the illusion of unity with Christ.