Perpetuity or the Characteristic of the New Testament Church

The church that claims perpetuity or link of succession from the apostles should demonstrate the characteristics of the New Testament church. The first basic link is the spiritual link as children of God and descendants of Abraham. Tertullian as recorded in the Martyr’s Mirror (1658) said that the basis of apostolic succession or church perpetuity is in terms of the kindred of doctrine and the way of life of the members. The following are some of the basic characteristics of the New Testament church that will indicate kinship or having kindred identity there has perpetuity or a mark of apostolic succession:

1. Personal link – Spiritual Relation
The personal relationship with Jesus Christ makes the believer descendant of Abraham (Galatians 3: 29). The spiritual birth and regeneration acquired through faith in Jesus made every believer link to the church that Jesus established which He is the head (John 1: 12 - 13; 3:3-5; Romans 8: 14 – 17; I Peter 1:23).

2. Doctrinal link – The Apostles’ teaching/ Apostle creed
Teaching similar to the Dedache or the Apostles doctrine, which the believers in the New Testament church are being taught (Acts 2: 41 – 47; 4:31 –37; 5:42). Sound doctrine that Apostle Paul entrust to Timothy to guard and to commit to faithful men who are to teach others (II Timothy 1:13; 2:2; 3:10: Titus 2:1, I Timothy 6: 20)

3. Institutional link – Structure and Composition
Composition and offices of the church were created or organized as it grew in order to address the demands of the changing situation (Ephesians 4: 11 – 16, I Timothy 3, I Peter 5:1 –5). In the same manner, the church the church today should be form to address the pressing demands and to become responsive to its growth. Structurally, the head of the church is Jesus Himself (Ephesians 5: 21 –35).

4. Ministerial link - Operations and Practices
The New Testament church pursued what the Lord should them during His ministry as model, which is part of the Great Commission saying, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you… What are the things that the Lord had commanded to do? The direct command was to love another (John 15: 10-12). This is one of the things that He showed and commanded His disciples. The following are the general categories, as the early church understood the things that the Lord had commanded:

- Diaconial - Caring for the needy – Lord spoke of this in the metaphor of the dividing the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25: 32 – 40). Those on the right will enter the Kingdom because they cared and ministered when He was sick, hungry, thirsty, naked and in prison. They asked when did they minister to Him? He answered, In as much as you have done this to the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me. The disciples took this literally when they eat and live together. The writer of the Book of James said, Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27 NASB). This is the service and caring rendered by the church to the needy so that there will be no poor in the land - a direct quotation for the Book of Deuteronomy. Contemporary churches are poor and cannot support even it own programs so much more to support their pastors with decency because the members are poor. Something must be done in this area. Instead of embarking or expensive mission projects why not affluent churches rethink itself and engage in diakonial services?

- Settling disputes – Another area that the church is independent from the state run judicial system is in the settling disputes and imposing discipline among misbehaving members. The matters should be settled within the church not to present the case to the unbelieving judge (I Corinthians 6: 1 – 11; Matthew 18: 12 –20). The Islamic laws govern the Muslim with Shariah court being recognized by the government to be legitimate. In fact, the Islamic marital laws prevail over the laws of the land. This is absurd for the do not apply to all the basis of religion beliefs and affiliations. Does that not reflect the fact that the church is a state where it has its own laws similar to Islam?

The settling of dispute cannot be implemented effectively unless the adherents or members acknowledge and recognize the authority of the church over them. This is possible in the current structure of the church for by its very nature the members are not compelled or obligated to follow.

- Community-fellowship – meeting daily, living and working together, praying and studying the apostle’s doctrine are the obvious preoccupation of the early church. The persecution dispersed them all over the region. That is why the more appropriate rendering of the Great commission is not Go rather, As you go doing your business make disciple of all you come to deal with (Matthew 28: 18 –20; Acts 2: 37 – 47; 4: 32 –35; 6: 7). The disciples then were of one mind, of one heart and one soul, one faith, one baptism, one Lord. As a community they fellowship together. They communion together in the celebration of the Lord’s supper to commemorate the death and resurrection of the Lord and His eminent return and they ate the Love feast in the same manner the Israelites celebrate the various feasts of the Jews or Jewish religion.

The modern churches that possess and observe these characteristics are the ones that can claim of apostolic succession or church perpetuity. If they do not, they simply belong to the mass category of reformed churches. The churches whose model is the structure of the Roman Catholic Church just reform its system. They are not the church that Jesus built.
Rod B. Alcazar