By: Thomas J. Gentry II, PhD, DMin | December 17, 2022
Editorial Note: This article is the second of two. In part one (published December 16, 2022), with Matthew 28:19-20 in focus, Dr. TJ Gentry considered the “similarities and differences between the attractional and proclamational approaches to church structure and practice through the lens of authors and pastors Andy Stanley (an advocate of the attractional model) and Jared Wilson (an advocate of the proclamational model).” In this article (part two) Dr. Gentry will present a Biblical rationale for the proclamational model and some concluding thoughts.
A Biblical Rationale for the Proclamational Model
Having summarized the basic teachings of Stanley and Wilson and considered their similarities and differences, the focus now turns to defending the thesis that the church of the New Testament does not reflect the attractional model promoted by Stanley but does engender the approach advocated by Wilson.
Due to space limitations, the biblical content considered in support of the thesis is limited to Acts 2:42-47, wherein Luke describes what constituted the earliest biblical record of Christian gatherings after Pentecost. However, recommendations for additional textual analysis are suggested below with the understanding that it is logical to conclude that whatever is described in the later New Testament would certainly be consistent with and reflect the concerns of the description in Acts. Here, then, is the text of Acts 2:42-37:
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. The fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and good, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47, NKJV). Even though a detailed and lengthy exposition of this passage is not provided here, the prominent concerns in the text are put forth as a justification for a conclusion in favor of the proclamational model. To help frame the discussion of the passage, the following points will be discussed: the focus on apostolic teaching described as the first element describing the early church’s gatherings, the type of emphasis on that element, and the outcome of emphasizing that element.
First, regarding the early church’s focus on apostolic teaching described in Acts 2:42, Darrel L. Bock comments, “Instruction is an important part of the new community. . . . It likely would have included all kinds of instruction like what we see in the Gospels and Epistles: ethical and practical teaching and a grounding in the central promise God had given in Jesus.”[1] Also commenting on the church’s concern for apostolic teaching as set against the broader backdrop of the remainder of the New Testament, Grant R. Osborne explains that the “Christians were enamored of truth and cared deeply about theological understanding, especially in the area of Christology. . . . The movement of the disciples in their understanding (which took all the time they had with Jesus)—from rabbi to prophet to Messiah to Son of God and Lord to deity—was certainly a major focus. . . . Sermons would not have been shallow pep talks.”[2] As Bock and Osborne rightly conclude, the first Christians gathered to learn the Scriptures, to proclaim its central message of the life and work of Jesus, and they did so as a matter of priority. While the early church gatherings certainly included other elements, the gatherings may be reasonably described as centered on the Word of God, and anything else that was done flowed from Scripture’s primary place in the assembly.
Second, regarding the type of emphasis the early church gave to apostolic teaching, Luke writes that the first Christians “continued steadfastly” (Acts 2:42) in it. Bock explains that “the expression . . . has the idea of persistence or persevering in something.”[3] Concomitant with the ideas of persisting and persevering is the idea of focus—the early church was focused on apostolic teaching and, by implication, not distracted by anything that would detract from that focus. Osborne observes how “this verse tells us what constituted the most important aspects of the life and worship of the early church and provides a model for us to follow. . . . Are we as ‘devoted’ to these as they were?”[4] The point of emphasis here is that the early church did more than include apostolic teaching in their gatherings. More than mere inclusion, the early church gave sustained attention and effort to learning the depth and richness of the apostolic message. This is the same message, by the way, that Paul later described as “Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:23-24, NKJV). Such a description of apostolic teaching by Paul certainly accords with a proclamational emphasis, but it is difficult to see how it could be described as attractional.
Third, regarding the outcome of emphasizing apostolic teaching and the communal activities around it, viz. “fellowship . . . the breaking of bread, and . . . prayers” (Acts 2:42), the early church bore the fruits of unity, benevolence, and conversions (Acts 2:44-47). Regarding the conversions witnessed by the early church, what Luke describes as “the Lord add[ing] to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47), Osborne comments, “Luke presents the winning of converts as a ‘daily’ result of the life of the church. Church growth is explosive when people are excited about the things of Christ. . . . They didn’t need special programs and special meetings to win the lost. . . . Church growth is a divine activity.”[5] Describing the vibrancy of the early church described in Acts 2:42-47 as rooted in the apostolic teaching, Bock concludes that it was “a learning church, a loving church, a worshiping church, and an evangelistic church. . . . This kind of engagement has a positive effect on mission.”[6] Based on Luke’s description in Acts 2:47, one may see that the evangelistic growth produced in the early church was an outcome borne of a focus on growing disciples and a discipleship community within the soil of apostolic teaching, a teaching directed to the believer while directing the believer to take its message to the world.
Conclusion
What has been presented here is a beginning, and further study warrants a consideration of other passages in the New Testament, such as 1 Timothy 4:13, and 2 Timothy 4:2, and how they relate to the attractional versus proclamational discussion. However, the purpose here has been to situate Jesus’ commission in Matthew 28:18-20 within the broader discussion of how churches can best be structured and conducted. A consideration of Stanley’s attractional model in Deep & Wide was compared to Wilson’s proclamational model in Prodigal Church, and the two positions are substantively different. In favor of the proclamational model, the thesis was presented and defended that the New Testament’s description of the church in Acts 2:42-27 best reflects the proclamational model based on its focused emphasis on apostolic teaching and the results that focus produced in the surrounding culture. The early church did not present itself as an attractional conglomeration of pragmatisms and consumerism. On the contrary, the first Christians “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. . . . And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42, 47). Was this attractive? Indeed, and the proclamation of the gospel made it so.
About the Author
Dr. Thomas J. Gentry (aka., TJ Gentry) serves as the pastor of First Christian Church of West Frankfort, Illinois, the Assistant Editor of Bellator Christi Ministries, and the former Executive Editor of MoralApologetics.com. Dr. Gentry is a world-class scholar holding 5 doctorate degrees and 6 masters degrees. Additionally, he is a prolific writer as he has published 7 books including Pulpit Apologist, Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord, and You Shall Be My Witnesses: Reflections on Sharing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for two additional books that he will soon publish. In addition to his impressive resume, Dr. Gentry proudly served his country as an officer in the United States Army and serves as a martial arts instructor.
Notes
[1] Darrel L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 150.
[2] Grant R. Osborne, Acts: Verse by Verse, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019), 47.
[3] Bock, Acts, 150.
[4] Osborne, Acts: Verse by Verse, 47.
[5] Ibid., 50.
[6] Bock, Acts, 155.
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