The place was Jerusalem. The time was the first celebration of Pentecost after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, a mere seven to ten days after He returned to the Father (Acts 1:9-11). At this time and place, a remarkable event occurred: the church was born, the same church about which the Lord had spoken after the pronouncement of Peter that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:15-19). From that day until today, believers would be part of the church—those about whom the Scripture says, “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:6). At the time of salvation, each believer would now be baptized into the body of Christ, irrevocably joined to this body over which Christ is the head (Col. 1:18).
The remarkable events which mark the foundation of the church in the first part of Acts 2 are followed by a simple yet profound statement, a statement which should be both pondered and put into practice. “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). While the people who were part of this new creation devoted themselves to at least these four practices, our purpose is to consider the one listed first. What is this apostles’ teaching to which the early church was devoted, and what significance should it have in the local church today?
The Centrality of the Gospel
First, devotion to the apostles’ teaching certainly includes the centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This message was preached clearly by the apostle Peter in Acts 2 at the birth of the church. Peter thus obeyed the command of the Lord Jesus which He had given just before He ascended to the Father (Lk. 24:45-48; Acts 1:8); Peter was indeed a witness. A number of years later, the apostle Paul also emphasized the centrality of the gospel when he characterized it as of “first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). The matter is simple: the most basic element of the apostles’ teaching is the message of the gospel.
Question: Are we committed to being witnesses to this most basic of the apostles’ teaching? Do we commonly practice a witness of words and works by which all know we are followers of the Lord Jesus? “Of course!” most might say. But is our witness to the work of Jesus Christ a natural part of our walk with the Lord and part of the DNA of our assembly, or is it only a scheduled, occasional activity? Also, is the gospel something for which we are especially noted, or are we only known for other peculiarities and practices?
The Teachings of Scripture
Second, the apostles’ teaching is more than just the gospel. While it is the foundational message, it is only that—a foundation. When the Lord Jesus commanded the apostles to go and to make disciples, He included an explanation: “teaching them all I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:20). The building of the church of Jesus Christ included a process whereby the believers were to know and put into practice the teachings of Scripture.
Question: Are we as individuals, and is our local assembly, devoted to learning the teachings of Scripture? Do we spend our private and corporate time considering merely the ideas of men or the content of the Word? Lest any think otherwise, this question is not one which is intended to disparage time spent in formal programs of study, or the use of commentaries and other study helps as we delve into Scripture. But as we ponder the Word and seek to learn more of the Person and work of the Lord, as well as our responsibility to such understanding, are we using tools which are merely the recitation of men’s thoughts, or are we using tools designed to unfold the actual Word of God?
A related question would concern the manner in which we use the Scriptures as they are taught. As many a well-grounded believer has noticed, the simplest method by which the teaching in a passage can be ascertained is by observation, interpretation, and application. We need to know what is found in a passage before we can begin to try to make sense of it, and only then can we make the attempt to apply it in our life and then the lives of our listeners. Sadly, many a speaker moves directly to the application because “everyone knows what is found in this passage,” and the resultant message does not match the text. When we stand to preach or teach, do we accurately reflect the apostles’ teaching in the passage, or is it a “truth” which can only be uncovered by believers who practice a very peculiar form of hermeneutics? The same applies when we privately study the apostles’ teaching.
Clearly Communicating the Message
Third, we need to maintain, or perhaps recover, the importance of the apostles’ teaching in the life of the local assembly, not only in its content but in its communication. Historically, such assemblies were known both for the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper and the solid, noteworthy content and character of the messages presented from the podium and in corporate Bible studies.
Question: Can this positive assessment be made of our consideration of the apostles’ teaching in our local assembly? Are these times of the public presentation of the apostles’ teaching the result of haphazard planning and preparation, or is it the result of a careful, prayerful consideration of the passage presented? Is the preaching and teaching in our assembly the hallmark of a job well done, or is it known as a time to be endured by the listeners? The solid, noteworthy presentation of the apostles’ teaching becomes especially significant when we consider two of the Apostle Paul’s final charges. The first is in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” We have a responsibility not only to find those to whom we may transmit this message, but to have a message that is apostolic in nature, not one of our own making. And 2 Timothy 4:1-4 takes this a step further: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Are we scratching itching ears with the latest trendy wind of doctrine or are we unfolding sound teaching? Again, this is not a plea to never reexamine what we think, but it certainly is a warning for us that we never move away from the apostolic message.
So, are we truly devoted to the apostles’ teaching? Both in the content and delivery of the apostles’ teaching, will we be happy to see the One who is coming to judge the living and the dead? Is the gospel presented faithfully, clearly, and regularly? Does the teaching we present accurately match what the Bible teaches? Do we present this teaching in a well-communicated fashion which is the result of careful, prayerful preparation?
“Devoted to the apostles’ teaching”—let it be as true of us today as it was of the believers in Acts 2.