The World Stole the Church
Chapter 5
The Fear of the Lord and the Early Church
The Letters to the early churches, and the Book of Acts by the Apostles, describe the early church as being under the fear of the Lord!
These churches consisted of small groups of believers which met in homes. The churches were small enough for individual participation; They could obey the instructions the Apostle Paul gave them in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33.
These instructions described how each individual could share their fellowship with the Lord; That fellowship with God could be expressed in Psalms, doctrines or teachings, tongues, revelations, interpretations of unknown tongues, and the variety of ways that the Holy Spirit led each believer in exhorting and building up the church in the faith.
“26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:26
“4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
- 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” – 1 Corinthians 12:
“13 And none of those who were not of their number dared to join and associate with them, but the people held them in high regard and praised and made much of them,”
- Acts 5: (AMPC)
There were imposters, posing as Christian believers, but the church was instructed regarding them.
“write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all) delivered unto the saints.”
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation,”
“3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Jude 1:
From the earliest, “the Fear of the Lord” was upon them!