Teach It

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2.42) 

Apostles Doctrine.  διδαχῇ — didache.  Teachings of the Apostles.  

Doctrine is— teaching.  But it isn’t that simple. Today, speakers and listeners both want quick definitions that are simply given, understood, and repeated. There is a difference in correct and going a little further to— accurate. Accuracy can be achieved by going beyond the etymology of the term and into the usages throughout the Bible. Doctrine in the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament manifests itself 55 times in the King James Bible. It would do you some good believer to search out and at least read each of these. Teaching from a person or about a subject is important. It is therefore vital to know who is teaching and what they are teaching. False doctrine, for instance is mentioned in scripture, because the subject and instructor are foul in some way(s). In Acts 2.42 we find it is the Apostles teaching and it is their doctrine (teaching) they are teaching.  

When reading the scripture, it is good to ask questions. Questions enable us to make observations that lead to discovering the point and/or application of the text. The immediate question I have for “Apostles Doctrine” is— Where did they get their doctrine? Was it invented by them or were they given it? They were taught personally by Jesus. This conjures up even more questions from me— What did Jesus teach them? What did He demonstrate before them? Is that what they taught? Is that what we are reading here?  

They taught what they were taught.  They lived what was lived before them by Jesus. I am guessing much more pure than we do today.  How did He do this?  The Gospels indicate a group teaching style as they were together with Him. This we see here in Acts 2.42 as well. They not only continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, but did so in the same way the Apostles were taught— group. It is imperative that we continue in the Word on a group level. This is issued from the Holy Spirit to let us ‘in on’ what they did together. This is what the 1st century church does. Is it what the 21st century church does? This form of teaching and discussion promotes: what we believe; why we believe it; and how that  that applies. It allows for discussion, questions, reasonings, even debates if necessary…just as Jesus did. 

How can a New Testament believer be a New Testament believer without being a member of a church? The scripture doesn’t give any answer because there aren’t any examples. The few examples of the thief on the cross or the Eunuch would be anomaly’s instead of the norm. You can be a ‘believer’ but not mirror the New Testament example. Why would anyone not want to mirror the example of Jesus and His church? Now, say that person becomes a member of a local visible body…how can they be an ‘active’ member and not know what that church believes? Churches are demonstrated in scripture as foundational and supportive mechanisms to the Word of God (pillar and ground 1 Timothy 3.15). Not very supportive or foundational if you do not know what you are following, why you are following it, or why that matters!  The scripture has to be not only known, but known how to follow or obey it. This is in Matthew 28.20— “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” It is not just the teaching, but teaching how to obey (observe). Here in Acts 2 we see that fulfillment in the church that Jesus built. They continued in the same teaching, with the same style, in the same environment. That is all the Apostles knew—why wouldn’t they continue in that steadfastly?! 

What we need is a constant (steadfast) and continuing teaching of what Jesus taught the Apostles, in the same manner He taught them.  We need to live what is taught. We need to do so together—every member. We need to leverage every opportunity to be together and help each other obey. If not, maybe a church can and should die. After all— Jesus died to give us this truth, we then must die to us and give more time for it.