The rethinks in the ekklesia corner
attempt to explore what the church was back in the first century under the
leadership of the Apostles, where it went wrong, and how we might possibly return
to something more closely resembling the original apostolic models.
The Lord's Table [mostly
finished]
Exploring the centrality of the banquet table in the
earliest churches. Meant to totally reform our conceptions of
what church life used to be about.
When You Come Together
as a Church [long and unfinished]
In
this rethink I try to take a fresh look at the churches we read about in the
New Testament to learn lessons on how we might do things in a more similar way.
To Deceive Even the Elect, if that Were
Possible [first draft finished]
A
list and exploration of the many warnings in the New Testament about how
deception, apostacy, intrusion of heresy, deformation (the opposite of
reformation), and such infected the church.
Deception and counterfeiting are normal in church systems. We should expect it. It happened even in the first century churches
while the Apostles were still acting as shepherds of the flocks.
But What to do
with the Children? [started]
Explores the common
question and problems revolving around what to do with the children in a house
church context when there are no nurseries, no Sunday school classes, and no
youth group programs.
In the World but Not of It [started]
Rethinking
who the church really is (identity) and what it should (and should not) be
doing (mission) in this world. Attempts to tackles some very controversial questions.
Just a Little House Church / Unchurch in Fort Mill, South
Carolina
My
stab at creating an entry point for the meetings of an organic, unconventional,
relational, unconventional, New-Testament styled, Hebrew-minded, unchurchy
church for Christ-centered, Bible-believing Christians in the vicinity of Fort
Mill, SC.
Is the Church/Group Associated with Mike
Peters a Cult?
This
unconventional church group seems to be targeting the house church and
homeschool scenes for recruits. They
have concentrations in Indianapolis, Columbus, Charlotte, Phoenix, and
Pensacola.
Rethinking the
Biblical Guidelines of Rulership by and Submission to
Church Leaders
In this rethink I attempt to reconsider some seriously abused
passages like Hebrews 13:7,17 (NKJV: "Remember
those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you. . . Obey those who rule over you, and be
submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give
account.") and some seriously neglected passages
such as Matthew 20:25-26 (NIV: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not
so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your
servant. . .”)
·
(Video)
Glimpse of a
First-Century Roman House Church
·
(Video)
Glimpses of the
"Last Supper" Seder and first Lord's Supper
·
Love Among
the Christians of the First Four Centuries
- (taken from James Russell, Phillip Schaff, etc.)
·
The Influence of the Synagogue
upon the New Testament Churches - (taken from Samuel Safrai, William Barclay, Ron
Moseley, and Oskar Skarsaune, etc.)
·
The Door Interview
with William Campbell - (taken from
William Campbell)
·
Re-consecration
to a Wartime Lifestyle - (taken from Ralph Winter)
·
Jabe Nicholson’s Challenges in
2009 to the Elders and Deacons of Open Plymouth Brethren Assemblies
·
Transitional Fossils in Church Evolution;
Rethinking the transitional churches – between house church and dedicated
church building – pre-Constantine and pre-Byzantine
· Ignatius of Antioch; exploring one influential early Christian leader who contributed greatly to the Deformation
· The Anabaptist Vision - by Harold S. Bender
Sunday's Coming (satirical video)
========Abandoned
for now============
Watch
your Life and Doctrine Closely [started]
An attempt to begin to address the problems of unifying
essentials and the dividing differences in the immense spectrum of Christian
doctrine.
Elders, Overseers, and Leadership [started]
Rethinking the office,
responsibilities, qualifications, and purpose of Episkopoi and Presbyteroi in
the New Testament
Even
the Elect Might Be Deceived? [started]
Warnings from the New Testament about the forces of
deception, counterfeiting, imposters, infiltration, accretion, syncretism, contextualization
and deformation.
Upon
This Rock He Builds His Church [started]
What
is the foundation the true Church is built upon? This rethink focuses on the NT concept of the
Church replacing the Temple (not replacing Israel but replacing the Temple that
Israel used to worship at) and focuses on the foundation of this new Temple
being Jesus Christ (as the chief cornerstone) and the Apostles and Prophets.
You
Might be a Cultist If… [started]
Rethinking
the lessons to be learned from the Cults