How should christians must be like

[Jackson Makawa Ghama]

Should modern churches look and feel like the early church in Acts, or is it right for them to adapt to culture and technology?

 

[com7fy8]

Should modern churches look and feel like the early church in Acts, or is it right for them to adapt to culture and technology?

Hi, Jackson Welcome to Christian Forums.

For starters, the early church was not mature. Especially when the Holy Spirit first filled those people, in the second chapter of Acts . . . those people were new to the Holy Spirit . . . and not strong and mature people like later.

So, I would not try to copy-cat and promote how the early church did things while it was immature.

 

[Hoping2]

Should modern churches look and feel like the early church in Acts, or is it right for them to adapt to culture and technology?

Hi, and welcome to the site.
The modern church should look and feel like the original church.
Holy, and without stain.
Growing daily in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
Taking care of each other as a family does.
I'm not sure what you mean by adapting to local culture.
If that culture is rife with wickedness, the people would have just repented of, (turned from), that sort of thing...don't you think ?

Technology is just a tool, and can be used efficiently for the kingdom of God.

Are you from the Blantyre in Scotland ?
Or the one in Malawi ?

 

[Jackson Makawa Ghama]

Hi, and welcome to the site.
The modern church should look and feel like the original church.
Holy, and without stain.
Growing daily in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
Taking care of each other as a family does.
I'm not sure what you mean by adapting to local culture.
If that culture is rife with wickedness, the people would have just repented of, (turned from), that sort of thing...don't you think ?

Technology is just a tool, and can be used efficiently for the kingdom of God.

Are you from the Blantyre in Scotland ?
Or the one in Malawi ?

 

[Jackson Makawa Ghama]

Thank you for taking time to share your perspectives.

I see the wisdom in both of your points. It’s true that the early church in Acts was still in its infancy, learning how to walk in the Spirit and growing through challenges. At the same time, I think there are aspects of that early fellowship—such as their unity, generosity, and bold witness—that remain timeless models for us today.

When I speak of “adapting to culture,” I don’t mean conforming to sinful practices or diluting the gospel to please society. Instead, I’m thinking of things like using contemporary music styles, embracing technology for teaching and outreach, and finding ways to connect with people in language and methods they can understand—without compromising holiness or biblical truth. The early church used the roads, trade routes, and even the Roman postal system of their day; in a similar way, I believe we can use livestreams, social media, and other tools to spread the gospel today.

I agree with you, that the church should remain holy, without stain, and care for one another like a family. That is non-negotiable. But I also think that just as Paul adapted his approach when speaking to Jews, Greeks, and Romans (1 Corinthians 9:22), the modern church can adapt its methods—not its message—to reach hearts in this generation.

By the way, to answer your question, I am from Blantyre, Malawi. It’s encouraging to see believers from all over the world discussing these issues together.

I’d love to hear from others—do you think adapting our methods can actually help preserve the message, or is it safer to keep everything as close as possible to the early church’s ways?

 

[David Lamb]

Should modern churches look and feel like the early church in Acts, or is it right for them to adapt to culture and technology?

I think it depends on the nature of any particular piece of culture or technology. For example, I imagine that most church buildings now are lit by electricity, not by the sort of lamps we read of in Acts, whose fumes could well have been one reason that Eutychus fell asleep:

“7 ¶ Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.” (Ac 20:7-9 NKJV)

Using electricity for light is not wrong. However, if the cultural or technological item draws one's focus of attention on to man, or the technology or culture itself, and away from God, that is wrong.

We surely don't want to go back todays when the only bibles available were handwritten copies, before the technological advance of printing.

 

[Jackson Makawa Ghama]

I think it depends on the nature of any particular piece of culture or technology. For example, I imagine that most church buildings now are lit by electricity, not by the sort of lamps we read of in Acts, whose fumes could well have been one reason that Eutychus fell asleep:

“7 ¶ Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.” (Ac 20:7-9 NKJV)

Using electricity for light is not wrong. However, if the cultural or technological item draws one's focus of attention on to man, or the technology or culture itself, and away from God, that is wrong.

We surely don't want to go back todays when the only bibles available were handwritten copies, before the technological advance of printing.

Thanks for your insight sir David.