A New Kind of Faith

Do you Believe in God?

If you were to go out into the streets of almost any major city today in the West, and ask people “Do you believe in God?” You would probably get one of three replies: “Yes,” “No,” or “I’m not sure.” Likely, no one would ask what you mean by “God” or which deity you have in mind. Even modern atheists presume that there is only one God to doubt! But in the longer and wider context of human history, this is a curious assumption. It’s prevalence in large parts of the world today is largely due to the impact of Christianity. But that is rapidly changing.

In the rich and diverse religious environment of the Roman world, early Christianity was different in the pattern of its beliefs and its practice. One major difference was its firm and absolute insistence that there is only one “true and living God,” and the demand that its adherents had to drop all worship of any other deity. This was a different and new, kind of faith. Christianity was so different from the religious environment that Roman-era people recoiled from Christian beliefs and practices, accusing Christians of rank impiety and even atheism.

Religion

Currently, this word (in Western Culture) has come to mean a kind of activity distinguishable from other areas of life, such as politics, economics or science. Also practice of religion is seen as voluntary, personal, and optional. You choose.

This is not the way it was in Rome or many nations of the world even today. Remember most pagan systems require a ritual pattern to keep potential spirit-dangers away and centered around avoiding offending them rather than worship and adoration and a positive relationship with God as perceived and practiced by Christians.

The religious practices were not even meaningful for many of those involved; they were just what you did as a good citizen.

You were to reverence and respect the gods and this was consider a cultural virtue. Service to them was an expectation of all in the community –

The key main difference is that we in the west see religion as separate element of life, we even read the Bible that way

Galatians 1:13

New International Version

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

Judaism was not a faith but a way of life. And this was true of all systems of belief. Roman era people generally had religious practices that were more central and characteristic, more obvious and explicit, than their religious beliefs. They presumed their gods existed, that under favorable circumstances the god might respond, but it was more important to fulfill the civic duty not to tick the god off.

Early Christians Were Strange

They were to their contemporaries not religious they had no altar, no cult-image, no priesthood, no sacrifices, and no shrines. The main point of contention was worship, Christians were superstitious to those around them. they sang hymns to Christ as to a god.. (Pliny)

Pagans demanded that the Christians go through the forms of the other gods and they would be tolerated .. but they would not and they only worshipped the triune God and told others they should as well. The key marker in the community was that the Christians were concerned with believing loyalty to the One True God.

A World Full of Gods

For pagan the world was full of gods of hearth, air, soil blood etc etc.. a cafeteria of gods and you could choose all of them … only Judaism and Christianity stated one true God and Jews were insular.

The attitude was completely open and tolerant of all the gods and they were often translated Zeus is Jupiter et

Some traveled with the adherents – like the Mithras cult that was a soldiers faith .. Isis from Egypt, became goddess of empire all home had small altars, Religion was everywhere and involved in everything

To deny to participate in the cultic rites meant to deny the god and put people at risk… … strange how Christians are doing this now

Gods and Idols

It would be hard for Christians to avoid these activities and it is likely that they also had to REFUSE to participate often. Christians were expected to treat the things the community honored as images or phantoms … and this lived out with the meaning that was expected of a good citizen revering the gods, was for the early church simply impiety of the gravest sort.

1 Thessalonians 1: 2-7

1 Thessalonians 1:2-7

English Standard Version

The Thessalonians' Faith and Example

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly[a] mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

TURN from idols to God … and idols was a pejorative term and insult

Very common in the letters

Temple called idol temple

Sacrificial meat – to idols

Idolatry

Idolater

These terms is NEVER used in the ancient literature of the gods It is an insult and pejorative but it is such that is used

Turn from them

1 Cor. 8-10 covers much of how to live in the environments and it is clear have nothing to do with them

Idols are false but also demons -- do not be partners with demons

Now concerning[a] food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.[b]

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating[c] in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged,[d] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers[e] and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble

10 …

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown[b] in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ[c] to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel:[d] are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?