@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

A Living Friendship With Jesus

One of the most striking characteristics of the first Christian church at Jerusalem was the personal and experiential relationship with Jesus that was enjoyed by His followers. It’s not remarkable that they had such a relationship with Jesus whilst He was alive - He was physically present with them, and we know that they developed a deep bond of friendship with Him. But for believers to enjoy this depth and quality of friendship and fellowship with Jesus after His death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven is something quite remarkable. It’s clear from the book of Acts in particular, and the New Testament in general, that members of the first church endeavoured to listened to Jesus and to be led by Jesus, both individually and corporately. To quote Hebrews 12:2, we might correctly conclude that from the beginning, this community was actively, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” How marvellous it is that, although He is no longer physically present amongst us, thanks to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit we may walk with Him today just as they walked with Him in the first century!