Where are the Church's New Testament

[Berry1990]

Hi I have been a Christian for 3 years. I have always wondered, what happened to the churches that were started after Jesus died? For example where are the children or great grandchildren, who have personal stories about who their parents? Their are millions of churches world wide and although we have the bible today, the church back then was part of the bible in the making, so where are the people from the new testaments grandchildren, are personal testimonies though writing in books. All the miracles Jesus and the disciples did and not one of the churches still remain, and not one group of people have the stories past down?

[Canuckster1127]

That's an interesting question but it relies upon a few assumptions that are not true.

First, "churches" is a loaded word. It means something different than how we commonly use the word now in Western Culture. Typically when we use the word "church" we're speaking of a building and perhaps the organization behind it maintaining the grounds, holding services and carrying out the tenets of the faith.

The New Testament when it speaks of "church" uses a greek term "ekklesia" that literally means "called out ones." It means actual people. Going one step further, when the new Testament speaks of this ekklesia it uses terms that are almost always organic or geared toward a living organism. It is compared to living fields, a body comprised together with Christ as the head, even when in a rare instance the idea of a building is metaphorically used it immediately qualifies that it is a building built of living bricks.

The early church for much of it's first two centuries was underground. The Roman Empire saw Christianity as subversive and replacing Caesar with Christ and therefore rebellion. There were no buildings or formal organization to run "ministries." There were simply believers who gathered together in homes (or at times in Rome in the catacombs or tombs of the city where they could escape notice or observation.)

As that persecution ended and the opposite condition developed in the western branch of the church where Christianity was now the official state religion, then buildings and systems became the norm rather than the methods and means at work in the early church which had no buildings or formal congregations to continue to perpetuate.

In that sense any and all who are true believers today are no just in the line of those in the past who were part of that early church, we're actually members of that same body and we share a common hope that Christ will come again and we will enter into the rest prepared for us by God.

[Berry1990]

Thank you so much for your answer. I understand church not being a building. Sorry I should have made my question more clear. The churches (Group of belivers in god) where are their descendants who can say first hand about their grandparents history. For example the women at the well who went back to her town and told everyone and many were converted? Wouldn't people have passed down the message for generations? Sorry I don't know if it's clear, I am trying to ask all of the people who were baptized became Christians, out of the lets say millions at the time of Christ the various churches (groups of believers in Christ not buildings) and no ones decendants are village remains to speak about Jesus and the disciples at that time? I understand that they are all dead and that was hundreds to thousands of years ago, yet many cultures pass down history through word of mouth and oral stories. Why aren't any of these descendants of the people passed down? All of the believers could not possibly be wiped out by leaving know knowledge of Christ only through the bible? Or am I wrong? And the answer is the church (ALL group of believers and their children) died off and the stories that could have been passed down died off with them? Sorry, hopefully I am clear.

[Berry1990]

Also I understand that we are part of the church (body of believers not an actual building) but we gain our knowledge and understanding of God and Jesus through the Holy Bible. What happened to the peoples grandchildren who were eye witnesses and had first hand accounts of either seeing Jesus, are meeting Paul, Matthew, Thomas, John and the disciples before they died. I know this is an assumption but wouldn't the people have told their children neighbors, anyone who would have listened all the way down to their great, great, great grandchildren times hundreds and some stories of their life and the impact of Jesus would be left? Our because it was son long ago, the descendants and any stories that would have been left were lost? My faith does come from the bible, Jesus is my foundation. But I still wonder all those people during that time, whether underground our not nothings left of their stories that could have been passed down. The underground rail rode for the African Slaves in America still is talked about and passed down and their are various accounts of people using, songs our writings to keep the story and information alive. Why not the same for the Christians and people who were first hand witnesses during that time? Sorry if it is so long and repetition, hopefully you understand. Thanks for sharing your knowledge :0)