Change agents reason that everything about "traditional" churches of Christ is hopelessly obsolete and so out of touch with the young and young adults of this century that it cannot possibly bring them to the Savior. Their solution is to completely renovate the faith and worship, the nature and structure of the church to make her acceptable to the young sinners they hope to attract.

 

In his book, "Navigating the Winds of Change", Lynn Anderson, a noted agent of change, writes, "If the cultural language of our assemblies is somewhat befuddling and uncomfortable to the churched young people, imagine how little sense it makes to nonchurched visitors! Music, vocabulary, design, and style must be updated so that we connect with the minds and hearts of today's seekers ... Our very structures nned to be constantly reevaluated and adjusted, revamped or replaced as the need may be." He goes on to say, "things have got to change significantly. Something has to give" (p. 40). His proposal prompts me to apply this same reasoning to the first generation of Christians and the way the Holy Spirit guided apostles in dealing with the situation.

 

In Palestine, Christianity was hopelessly out of touch with Jewish culture. Beyond faith in on God, there was little about Christianity that unconverted Jews could appreciate. Jesus and His teaching was held to be heretical, dangerous, and onnoxious to the cultural leaders of Judaism (Luke 23:1-2). Christians' freedom from all the rules and restrictions of the Law of Moses was threatening to that culture. The fact that Christians freely mingled with Gentiles was especially offensive. The thought Christianity was anti-Jewish (Acts 21:28). When pressed to renounce their mission, Peter and John asserted, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Their message was a stumbling block to those of the Jews, yet Paul affirmed it was the power of God (ICor. 1:23-24).

 

The church's message was considered foolishness to the refined Greeks (I Cor. 1:23). Christianity clashed with the prevailing thought of Greek culture. The idea that one God was ridiculous to those who worshipped many gods. Greeks had elaborate temples and rituals that were threatened by the message of the Christians. Greek culture was wildly decadent. The church had a different standard of morality. Greeks were refined, with a superior standard of living, broader education, and ancient traditions of which they were proud. The strong oppressed the weak and thought it was their right. The Christains were often among the poorr and weak of society (I Cor. 1:26). Their faith was simple and unadorned. Their morality was stern compared to prevailing social mores. Greeks were willing to compromise on virtually any question of religion and morals. Christains were unyielding.

 

In Rome, the situation was much like that among the Greeks. But Romans enjoyed vast ploitical, military, and economic power. Christians had sought none. Rome ruled by the sword; Christians "persuaded men" to follow Christ (II Cor. 5:6). The Romans despised their weakness and poverty. Rome demanded that all ciitizens bow down to Ceasar as a god. Christians refused to do so. Romans abandoned and killed unwanted babies. They sported with humans in their arenaa and  killed them for entertainment. Christians collected their abandoned babies and raised them. They ministered to the poor and suffering. Some complained, "They turned the world upside down: (Acts  17:6). Like their Master, Christians were despised and rejected (IS. 53:3).

 

In each of these settings, the church was truely "counterculture". Had our change agents lived then, we can imagine their mindless prattle. "We are hopelessly out of touch. We cannot hope to attract those of cultural groups whose heart language, whose expectations are so different than those<


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