Welcome to the Century One Project
Exploring and Restoring the New Testament Ekkelsia
What is The Century One Project?
Welcome to this-do.org the home of The Century One Project. Approaching the turn of the Millennium we began revisiting the scriptures to explore the way the first Christians met and practiced their faith. Having been around church for about 10 years at that point we felt there needed some further examination of 'church,' what everyone accepts as 'the done-thing.' Our research revealed that the Apostles started home based 'ekklesia' centred around food and drink. Why did the Apostles set up meeting in homes, eating and drinking together? What made them suddenly meet in this simple family orientated way?
In the New Testament we have overwhelming evidence that the first believers met in homes. Paul records that 'ekklesia' involved enough food to gorge yourself and enough wine to get drunk (1 Cor 11)! It is our observation that Jesus' words, 'This do unto my remembrance...' was an instruction to do exactly what they were doing: eating and drinking in a home with the Lord central to the gathering. Many believers will sip some juice and eat a piece of bread this Sunday to observe that Jesus said, 'this-do..' But if Jesus just meant for believers to eat a cracker and sip some juice then the Apostles got it completely wrong! They went ahead and had the 'deipnon,' the evening meal in homes, not community halls or auditoriums! Paul taught in a hired hall for sure, and believers met in places to pray or in the synagogues to evangelise, but the meeting of believers took place in homes around food.
Why does this matter?
What we hear in churches is that we 'need to get the lost saved.' This becomes a primary aim of 'Church.' While this is a pressing and urgent alert, it is not the first mission of the Church. The first assignment is to obey the Lord. If we settle on a church practice that follows history, we will do the 'done thing.' If we dismantle a mobile phone and place the components in our hand, it has all the parts of a mobile phone. But only when we put it together the way the maker designed it will it be operational. Where church is concerned, there may be component parts, but only when the Lords design is observed can it be truly operational. Our heart is to see believers explore and restore the saving plan of God for Church. By practicing Church the way the Lord instructed, we position ourselves for His powerful hand to work in and through it should that be His will.
'Kingdom' Matters
'Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' The Lord instructed us to pray and from this we can see there is an intention that whatever is happening in heaven, God wants this on earth. So, what is happening in Heaven? Jesus has all power, authority and dominion! With this in view, it would be of utmost importance that we facilitate that here wouldn't it? The book of Acts gives account of times when God's kingdom was manifest in the culture of the first believers. At this time the Apostolic practice of meeting in homes was how they gathered - Acts 2:42-47. It appears that God's will was done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus had leadership and headship of His Church. If this is so clear, why is it that we don't just revert back to homes, food, family?
After the Apostles died men rose up to govern the spiritual wellbeing of believers. We saw in Corinth that 'one follows Apollos / Cephas / Paul / Christ. "You have become Kings..." says Paul to the Corinthian leaders. The rot was setting in. This human problem of designating people to follow instead of God became destructive to 'Kingdom' matters. As history unfolded the Church became entirely led by people instead of led by Christ. Little by little the home based ekklesia was transformed to the institutes of earth and started to resemble the way any old gathering met together. Over time the Roman Catholic Church arose in the form of the way the Roman Empire worked. Caesar figures were elected to rule the believers and they were called 'Popes.' The word 'Pope' means 'Father!'
The home based practice based on the covenant meal was continued by the few and many were chased down and slaughtered for violating the Roman Catholic laws and decrees. 'The Pilgrim Church by E.H. Broadbent is the best account of church history I have come across to chart these matters. What has happened over history is various forms of meeting together has arose that gives the Lord less lead over his people. To fully give the Church back to the Lord for Him to lead means a revolution of the heart and a return to Biblical Church. The Lord must instigate this in heart of believers who will abandon their own core investment in 'church' to truly give Jesus His church back.
In a nutshell
Jesus' intention was to have believers gather where He could have headship and lead. This was simple, home based gatherings around the covenant meal. 'Family' was the aim but men stepped in and made believers gatherings into earthly institutions. Rank and Hierarchy replaced God appointed leadership and the Lord was not leading any more.
More Opinions?
I suppose this is another view in the sea of different opinions around Christianity today. It can be wearying and many step away from church or their faith altogether. What I would urge you to do is explore the above claims and find freedom in a church model that isn't only Biblical but incredibly freeing. With mans systems and structures gone we can enjoy biblical discipleship where the Holy Spirit is in charge.
By 22 years of age I had already lived a life that was full of the usual pursuits that ultimately disappoint and leave people unfulfilled. One of the things that was a little different in my conversion was that I was not saved in a church. It was 1989 and I had been dragged to church by my mum who wanted me in a good school. At 16 I rebelled and refused communion at an Easter service in school. Eventually Jesus grabbed me by the scruff of the soul and I was in no doubt that I wanted to be in a good church. I found one! It was a small Pentecostal Church in my local town.
I became active in the youth group and did some pastoral duties for a while. Missions was a passion back then and I managed to get out to see a few European countries. Next was Bible College and I teamed up with an aspiring mega church in Sheffield. Here I began to solidify some growing issues I had with 'church.' Suffice to say I couldn't reconcile what I was seeing in practice to what I saw in the Bible. There seemed to be a disconnect. Firstly I couldn't see the Roman Catholic or Protestant Church practice in the New Testament. For some time I supressed my issues because I was a very lone voice in all of this. After all, who wants to be different?
I began reading some materiel from a few other lone voices and found I resonated with an idea. This idea was that the majority of church practices we observe are either Roman Catholic or Reformed Roman Catholic practices. That is, there has been a theological reformation but the practice of having special people doing special things in special places remained. It appeared that a few people had broken off from the 'church' and began being faithful to what the New Testament taught about believers meeting together. This was meeting to eat a covenant meal together in someone's home and each person could share with the others to build up and encourage the other believers. Stepping back from the 'church' as I knew it allowed me to see that this was what the Apostles practiced and taught in the first century.
In these gatherings leaders were elders and did not seek prominence. Each could share a short contribution at any point. Also at any point someone could ask if the group could sing. Informal and laid back, the group would pray , give a testimony or read a psalm to build up and encourage the group. There was no sermon. Maybe someone would exercise the gifts all culminating in a full meal that each has brought a contribution towards. This was the covenant meal where Jesus said " this do.'
It was 2001 and my family had exited the 'church' to explore Biblical Church. This is when I started the Century One Project, research and practice into the idea that the Lord wants us to not only walk in theological truth but also practice ekklesia as Jesus told the Apostles when he said 'this do unto my remembrance.'
Contact
Gary Ward
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