The Early Church: The First Christians
Last updated: 2026-04-13
The early church, as described in the New Testament and reflected upon by the Reformed tradition, was a community defined by devotion to apostolic teaching, the sacraments, prayer, and a radical, sacrificial love for one another. While it was not free from internal struggles or imperfections, it remained anchored in the sufficiency of Christ as its only Head and the Word of God as its final authority.
📖 A Life of Apostolic Devotion
The early church was characterized by a profound, continuous commitment to what the apostles taught and the practices Christ instituted. As recorded in Acts 2:42, the believers 'continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.' This was not merely an organized system, but a living, gospel-centered community where believers shared their lives, possessions, and resources to support those in need, grounded in the grace of God that had redeemed them.
Sources: Acts 2:42
🏛️ The Nature and Governance of the Church
Reformed theology maintains that the church is the assembly of the faithful, governed not by human inventions or a worldly hierarchy, but by the Word and Spirit of Christ. The Second Helvetic Confession Ch. XVII emphasizes that Christ is the sole Head of the Church, and that its true unity is found in the doctrine of the Gospel and the right administration of the sacraments. Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 4, explains that while the primitive church followed a form of government (presbyters, bishops, and deacons) to preserve order, these were always intended to be subservient to the Word of God, ensuring the church remained a body dedicated to the ministry of the Word and the care of the poor.
Sources: Second Helvetic Confession Ch. XVII · Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 4
❤️ A Fellowship of Sinners and Saints
It is a vital gospel truth that the early church was a fellowship of flawed people—sinners saved by grace. Chrysostom, in his Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans, reflects on how this community dealt with repentance and restoration. They were 'more sinful than they ever dared believe, and more accepted and loved in Christ than they ever dared hope.' This is consistent with the Westminster Confession Ch. 25 §5, which acknowledges that even the purest churches are 'subject both to mixture and error.' The beauty of the early church lay not in its perfection, but in its daily dependence on the gospel, which alone sustained its unity and holiness in the face of an 'untoward generation.'
Sources: Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans · Westminster Confession Ch. 25 §5
Modern Christians can learn from the early church's radical commitment to the sufficiency of Christ, the centrality of the gospel, and a life of sacrificial witness in the face of societal opposition. While the early centuries exhibited diverse practices, they held firmly to the apostles' doctrine and the understanding that the church exists not as a worldly institution, but as the body of Christ, marked by the true preaching of the Word and the right administration of the sacraments.
🛡️ A Life of Sacrificial Witness
The early centuries of Christianity demonstrate a profound transformation of character that defies natural explanation. In On the Incarnation of the Word §28, Athanasius notes that believers, once naturally fearful of death, began to despise it for the sake of Christ, proving that death had been brought to naught by the Savior's victory. Furthermore, in On the Incarnation of the Word §51, it is observed that the gospel pacified savage cultures, turning people from idols and warfare to a life of peace and friendship. This reminds modern believers that the power of the gospel is not merely intellectual, but is intended to create a community that lives differently—a witness that turns the 'sword into a staff.'
Sources: On the Incarnation of the Word §28 · On the Incarnation of the Word §51
🏛️ The Nature and Governance of the Church
Reformed theology, particularly as articulated by John Calvin, emphasizes that the primitive church serves as a model of governance centered on the Word. In Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 4 §1, Calvin observes that the early church sought to build its economy solely upon the Word of God as its only standard. The governance was not a hierarchy of power, but a ministry of service, where bishops and presbyters were expected to labor in the preaching of the Word, knowing that 'the priest dies when no sound is heard from him' (Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 4 §3). For the modern Christian, this is a call to recover the centrality of preaching and the humble, service-oriented nature of church leadership.
Sources: Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 4 §1 · Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 4 §3
📖 Gospel-Centered Unity
The early church found its unity not in outward uniformity of rites, but in the truth of the gospel. The believers 'continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship' (Acts 2:42). While external practices varied across geography and time, the Reformation tradition maintains that such diversity does not break the unity of faith, as stated in the Formula of Concord Art. X §31: 'Disagreement in fasting does not destroy agreement in the faith.' Modern Christians are reminded that our unity is rooted in the finished work of Christ, and that the church, while subject to mixture and error in this age, remains the pillar of truth as long as it rests upon the rock of Christ (Westminster Confession of Faith Ch. 25 §5).
Sources: Acts 2:42 · Formula of Concord Art. X §31 · Westminster Confession of Faith Ch. 25 §5
Related Questions
See all 20 Church History questions →
You Might Also Explore
Want to explore more?
Ask a question