At first glance at this question I thought of being an example in all that I do and say. As I read I came across this post and realized there has to be more.
John, I have to question your idea that we are different now than that of NT times. News articles in my area alone:
- cruel - teenagers beat to death another teen behind the local grocery store simply because he was different
- immoral - child pornography ring linked to adults in more than one country
- violent - a young man recieved a superficial gunshot wound and while being put in a car to be taken to hospital the attacker came after him with a knife
- superstitious - horoscope page (need I say more)
- corrupt world - government official caught in scandal claims to be justified in his actions
This is just as required todayas it was then.
I think the point here is that "
we are different now than that of NT times" which seems quite clear. Although the immorality of the human race is just as bad (or probably most people would say worse), Christianity in some places (mainly the west) has changed.
I think it's quite clear that in modern times many Christians aren't sharing all their money and assets with everyone in the community. Nor are many Christians meeting in the streets and squares daily to sing and have fellowship. Incredible miracles and healings and hundreds (even thousands) becoming Christians daily at open preachings in the streets. New Christians leaving everything they have to become travelling preachers.
NT Christianity was radical and went against the majority of cultural practices at the time. It was so radical that people were worried on both sides that it might become a revolution.
Obviously there are still revolutionary Christians, who are going against the worldly norm, some don't have tv's don't have cars (great stuff for Flandidly before about the enviroment - I know alot of people don't take genesis that seriously anymore, but we are called to be caretakers), some share houses and live in community, some preachers pay all their own way and are tent makers, some Christians give almost everything they earn to God.
But lets be honest, you can't really say that the majority of Christians (
in the west) are like this. Sometimes its hard to see the difference on a day to day basis between a Christian and a non-Christian except for the Bible reading and prayer. They both have the same houses, jobs, family, vacations, watch the same tv, etc.
To say we haven't lost some of that NT radical discipleship and the Spiritual power that comes with it is I think overly optimistic. We are different from NT times. Look across to Africa, India, South America. Blind people, lame people being healed everyday, people who have nothing giving away everything they have.
The Gospel leading people to out of their comfort zones to live an unworldly life, we're different from that now - we're comfortable and enjoy what the world has to offer.