6. Worship was Eucharistic - The early Christians were a community that was conscious of the need to give thanks to God.
7. Worship Involved Koinonia - The Greek word, koinonia, means "sharing" or "participation" and is seen as the kind of giving in the fellowship that builds up the family of Christ. This is the focus of 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 - each person was expected to come and share in the event of worship rather than simply listen to one person.
8. Worship was Corporate - There was also a corporateness in worship in every sense. The church was consciously a body or a fellowship of persons who saw themselves as inextricably bound together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
9. Worship Included Music - The early Christians lifted their voices in praise to God. The New Testament frequently mentions the corporate singing which took place in their midst and also indicates some of their hymns and spiritual songs (e.g., Phil 2:6-11; Eph 5:19-20; Rev 4:8-11; 5:9-13).
10. Worship Included Singing and Songwriting - There are a number of hymns or spiritual songs in the New Testament literature.
There are two points here that we have lost sight of in modern worship. Worship Involved Koinonia. It seems to me that many people come to be entertained in todays society. If it isn't satisfying to the "audience", then we have failed in our attempt to worship. First, we must remember who the true audience is, the Lord, Jesus Christ. Then, we must remember that we all play a part in worship. Worship is participatory. We should never sit back as spectators, critics, or as the audience.
Worship Was Corporate - What has happened to that bond? Why do we seem so disconnected? We are a community of believers bound together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, we have differences. We all have our likes and dislikes. But, if we come in with the attitude of Koinonia would our likes and dislikes really matter?
Let's hear your thoughts. Then maybe we can grow in our personal walk with the Lord and grow in our walk with each other.
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We got a new insight into the problem(s) in the church at Galatia in our lesson this past Sunday. We concentrate on the obvious problem of those who were insisting that in order to be a Christian you had to believe in Jesus as the Christ PLUS become a Jew, i.e., follow the law which included all the Jewish rituals (especially the sign of the covenant, circumcision).
ReplyDeleteHowever, In Gal 5:6 and again in Gal 5:13-15, Paul hints at what I believe is the greater problem in the church.
Gal 5:6
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
NIV
Gal 5:13-15
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
NIV
I believe what Paul was saying in these verses was, yes, the ‘circumcision sect’ was wrong in their insistence that salvation was by faith plus “works” but the ‘grace alone through faith alone group’ was wrong as well because they were not “expressing that faith through love.” The real danger at Galatia was that the church was being destroyed, not so much by wrong doctrine, as by eating itself up- no love expressed, no Koinonia.