I’ve often heard this question being asked in church; what is a New Covenant church?
Well, we get a description of it in Acts 2 v 42 and I have been drawn to meditate on this verse for the past few days.
The writer of Acts lists four activities that the apostles and the new believers (the first church) steadfastly continued in.
It is no surprise to me (as a man who focuses on the Word of God) that the first in this list is continuing steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.
Doctrine is simply teaching or what you are being taught, so I wondered why the apostles’ doctrine and not the whole of the Bible.
I believe that what is meant here is new covenant grace; the apostles taught grace and the finished work of Jesus Christ, they taught a message that was post cross, they spoke out a message that was Christ and the cross centred.
Now there is nothing wrong with the rest of the Bible (the old testament for example), the whole Bible points to Jesus, but in church today the focus should be new covenant grace and the finished work of Jesus Christ.
A new covenant church requires to teach a new covenant message; they doctrine for today must be grace and the finished work of Jesus Christ, just as it was in the days of the apostles.
Paul taught this doctrine and got rightly upset when believers deviated from it (Galatians 1 v 6 and 7 and Galatians 5 v 1).
The doctrine of grace or the finished work of Jesus is the gospel, the true gospel, and anything else is an abomination and should be avoided.
The apostles’ doctrine is an essential element of the church today, indeed it is what should come first every time that we meet; it is what we should steadfastly continue in.
Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word, thank you that I can steadfastly continue in it today”.
Acts 2 v 42…..And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers
Heilan Word Ministries 