Ridderbos & The Didache

By Greg Simmons

         C.H. Dodd

Doddʼs understanding of the New Testament is shaped by his concept of two distinct spheres within the text, one is the religious elements of faith, worship, sacrament, communion and the second being itʼs ethical precepts and admonitions. The presupposition that Christianity is an ethical religion causes him to jump over the indicatives of scripture and land squarely on the imperatives. This is why he puts such emphasis on the “didache” as a tradition of ethical instruction and misrepresents the order and meaning that the apostles actually intended for the Christian life. The concept of a purely ethical body of teaching the “didache”, in which all early believers were some how instructed, cannot be established from the New Testament. This is why Dodd often refers to extra biblical influences, such as Hellenistic Judaism and Stoicism to reinforce his interpretation of the of the “ didacheʼs” intent. The “didache” as he understands it is distinct from the Kerygma or gospel proclamation. In his article on Preaching and Teaching in the Early Church he says, “These members were then instructed in the ethical principles and obligations of the Christian life. This course instruction in morals, as distinct from the proclamation of the gospel, is covered in the term “teaching”, which in Greek is didache.” His error is that the moral instruction or teaching was somehow “distinct” from the gospel proclamation of what Christ had done on behalf of the believer. He believes Paul was mostly concerned that those who were coming out of a pagan background needed to “appreciate the moral demands on their new faith”. This emphasis on morality and the imperatives that flow from it form the core of his hermeneutic. The “didache” as interpreted by Dodd is merely the outcome of his concept of Christianity as an established tradition of ethics. He gives a passing acknowledgement to the historical and saving work of Christ and then focuses on man and his obligation to live a moral life. He simply puts the cart before the horse. His error is a man-centered legalism that un-tethers the living out of the Christian life from the gospel proclamation of what Christ has accomplished in His obedience on our behalf.

                                                                                                               
Herman Ridderbos

Ridderbosʼs understanding of the “didcahe” stands in contrast to that of Doddʼs. He sees the teaching of the New Testament as encompassing the entire content of the gospel. The teaching of the apostles was a fleshing out of the kerygma that centered on the redemptive proclamation of the life, death and resurrection of Christ with all its implications for the Christianʼs life. He does not divide proclamation from ethics, but acknowledges that the gospel precedes and makes possible all of our ethical behavior. He states, “…the new life in its moral manifestation is at one time proclaimed and posited as the fruit of the redemptive work of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit—the indicative; elsewhere, however, it is put with no less force as a categorical demand—the imperative.” He is clear in understanding that the gospel proclamation or the indicative precedes and gives rise too the ethical imperatives. This order of imperatives flowing out of the indicative of Christʼs completed work is not reversible and the outcome of changing the order results in legalism. Another clear distinction between Ridderbos and Dodd is that the apostleʼs teaching or “didache” is distinguished from “kerygma” by form rather than content. The kerygma is the heralding of the redemptive work of Christ while the didache instructs and explains the proclamation in more detail with all its intended implications. The only difference is one of form not content. The kerygma is also to be understood as teaching in the form of a one-way dissemination of knowledge about Godʼs redemptive plan in Christ. (Eph 3:8-9) It makes known the meaning of previous revelation in the Old Testament in light of the incarnation of Christ as the messiah. Preaching and teaching are related because the aim of both is to pass along this knowledge of the saving work of Christ. Ridderbos is correct when he sees the division of kerygma from didache as a false and unbiblical dichotomy of gospel from ethics.

Both of these views have profound implications for the believer. Doddʼs view of the “didache” as primarily focused on the ethical imperatives, the dos and donʼts, leads us to either frustration or legalism. Ridderbos on the other hand leads the believer into the freedom that all the imperatives of scripture find their fulfillment in Christ and by the Spirit he imparts his holiness into our lives. It is the propositional truth of the gospel that Christ is our righteousness and we donʼt need to return to a Christianized version of law keeping.

The Antioch Prototype

By Greg Simmons

The early church at Antioch is an original New Testament model or prototype for the local church. It has all the forms and functions, which model a solid foundation for establishing or renewing a local church today. The roots of the church’s expansion throughout the world can be traced directly to the establishment of the church at Antioch.

Antioch owes its beginnings to the sovereign work of God in causing persecution to scatter believers, especially gifted leaders, out of the geographic confines of Judea. (Acts11:19-21) After the stoning of Stephen the believers were pushed north into Syria. This is where we see a shift in the biblical narrative in Acts away from Jerusalem and the ministry of Peter and to the gentiles and the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas was sent by the church at Jerusalem to report on what was taking place among the new converts in Antioch. When he arrived he took a leadership role by encouraging them and proclaiming the gospel that added many people to the church. (Acts 11:24) Shortly afterwards he went and got Paul and brought him to Antioch where they taught the new community for over a year. Although there seemed to be a general proclamation of the gospel that increased the number of believers before Barnabas and Paul, there doesn’t appear to be a leadership structure until they arrive and start their teaching ministry. In this we see several prototypal models, which must be indicative of any fully functioning church. A local church must have gifted leaders and teachers as well as a team approach to ministry. The church at Antioch clearly did not have an organic or leaderless structure. From the very first mention of the church there we see God bringing in leaders to teach and oversee the affairs of the community.

Another key element to a fully functioning church is the team approach to ministry and the plurality of leaders that God appoints. This plurality of leadership started with Jesus and his disciples. This is evident in Luke as the Lord sent out his ministry teams by two to go and proclaim the coming kingdom. (Lk:10:1) It is interesting to note that he did not give
authority to the masses that followed him, but to seventy-two specific men whom he gifted to proclaim the kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons. So, there is both a gifting by Christ of certain men for leadership and the bringing together of these men in teams for the work of the gospel. Antioch is no exception to this pattern. The Jerusalem church sent their
gifted men to establish and teach this new community of believers.

That brings us to the pattern of church networks or partnerships. The church at Jerusalem first sent Barnabas to see if a true work of God was being done at Antioch and then to help established it. This begins the relationship of the two churches and the bringing together of two diverse communities. This is an important paradigm that should not be overlooked in
our twenty first century churches. The church in Jerusalem was characterized by a Jewish ethnicity that God was challenging. We see this in Peter’s declaration and defense of God’s grace to the gentiles. (Acts 11:1-18) The Lord continued this process through the church in Antioch with its growing gentile community. These two very different churches began a relationship of mutual support and cooperation that was founded on their common bond in Christ. Leaders and physical support were sent between the churches. (Acts 11:19-30) I see in this a clear implication that churches, just like individual believers, are not meant to
exist as solitary islands. The early church councils also bear witness of churches coming together for the defense and preservation of the true gospel of Christ. These mutual bonds between churches are just as necessary today for a united defense against error and heresy.

Antioch is a prototypical New Testament church. It bears the following features necessary
for the church in any age.
1. Gospel proclamation (Acts11:20)
2. Leaders and teachers (Acts11:25,26; 13:1)
3. Contended for true doctrine (Acts15:1)
4. Was a base for gospel expansion and church multiplication (Acts14:24-28)
5. Supported and sent gifted men (Acts13:2-4)
6. Partnered with other churches (Acts11:29-30; 15:23)

How Paul Established Churches

By Max Strange

Pauline Strategies for Establishing Churches

1/23/2009

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. This Proverb indicates that mankind has within a self-delusion about his true spiritual nature and the way he views life. This proverb has in another sense come true in mission activity at home and abroad in the last 100 years. The Proverb could say, "There is a way that seems right for a man to do mission work, but in the end it leads to death of mission."  Mission work has become dysfunctional, individualistic, not enduring, Western, and often unbiblical.

Once the church was underway, and Paul sent to Rome, it was now up to the church to contine the work that Christ started.  Luke, leaves Acts 28 open-ended.  God has placed the mission of the Church in the hands of God’s people and so we now find ourselves living today in Acts 29. We may ask ourselves then, did God not leave some Biblical patterns and principles for establishing the church as we live in Acts 29? Is there not a philosophy that we can use to under gird our strategies and allow cultural flexibilities, not only for this generation but also for subsequent generations? The answer is “Yes.” We find in Acts, God’s patterns, principles, and prototypes to help us in MISSION from God’s work through Paul. When we examine and take hold of these, we find out what it means to do mission and how to “establish the church.”

God led Paul to do lasting, ever increasing, church expanding, and convert escalating work. The mission focused around these principles that helped Paul do the greatest work the church has ever seen:

1. He proclaimed the Gospel (synagogues/Gentiles)

2. Clustered new believers together (Community)

3. Gospel Instruction

4. Appointed leaders/elders

5. He Left

6. Return Visits

7. Correspondence
Paul’s method was to establish churches (a people of God in community). All his mission activity hinged upon this one endeavor. To establish meant to strengthen or to confirm. The church today has lost sight of this one driving principle. Many ministries done today are legitimate only if they help this one great enterprise…to establish the people of God.

In more detail, Paul’s approach was to first proclaim the Gospel. He would gain an audience and stir up enough attention to create a beachhead of Christians. He wouldn’t consider the city or town as yet reached. He would begin their formal instruction and form a community around doctrine to strengthen (establish) their faith. He would appoint elders to oversee the new community. These were men of character who would watch over the flock. They were not theological geniuses, but showed signs of maturity and some Scriptural wisdom. Paul would then leave, fully dependent on the Spirit of God, to continue His work in their hearts. Paul would continue establishing the churches by letters, prayers, visits, and by sending key leaders (Timothy, Titus, Luke) to help their ongoing confirmation. These communities were then later used as a launch pad for new Gospel frontiers.

Mission work was and is not a “multiplication of individuals…although communities are always made up of individuals. It was a multiplication of believing communities. It was a multiplication of churches” (10). This is antithetical to the individualistic mission mindset found in the “personal call” of many Christians. This philosophy of mission actually narrows the church in its equipping. The main purpose is to confirm the churches in the Gospel of Christ as a people of God. All other ministries that find themselves focused on “other” goals to equip saints in isolation of the local community toss aside Paul’s pattern. This beautiful plan is about multiplication of churches regardless what other ministries or para-church structures are doing. All ministries find legitimacy if they serve to establish the church, which equips the saints in their local church context with Gospel vitality.

Last of all, Paul’s strategy to establish the church after the message was heralded, community was founded, Gospel instruction given, elders of character chosen, was to leave. This opened wide the door for the next generation of leaders to step up. When Paul left, that was a sign of two things. It meant that Paul felt the church was ready to begin on its own and secondly, that Paul had a remarkable trust in God’s sovereign plan for the churches. Paul didn’t stick around. He didn’t settle in or become a calcified leader. New frontiers had to be gospelized and dark enemy territory had to be reclaimed by Light and truth. This was not abandonment. He continued by correspondance with letters, visits, prayers, and visiting dignitaries by Gospel saturated men.

All strategies for missions would do well to take note of Paul’s patterns for Gospel progress and church swelling ministry. The church has missed the mark in many regards and needs to find its center in the Scripture. The model is not restrictive. It simple gives us a starting pointing and a main thrust for all Christian labors.