Speaking on ‘Looking beyond our walls’ this week.
Following on from Steve McKinnon last week.
Brian Winslade spoke about the history of the church at the Pastors Conference and I am using some of his material.
This challenges!
“Aristides was a Christian apologist and historian in the 2nd century. Here’s what he wrote about the culture of the Christian church around AD125:
“They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another. They do not despise widows and they don’t grieve orphans. He that has distributes liberally to him that has not. If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof, and rejoice over him, as if he was their own brother; for they call themselves brothers and sisters, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit and God; but when one of their poor passes away from the world and any of them see him, he provides for his burial according to his ability and if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or opposed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs; and if it is possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man who was poor and needy and he has not an abundance of necessaries, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with the necessary food.”3