How Ancient Christians Lived Lives that Were “Rich in Good Deeds”
Learning to live in a way that is inexplicable apart from the presence and power of God
Here are some comments that I made in a recent article, in which I discussed my contribution to the book Rich in Good Deeds: A Biblical Response to Poverty by the Church and by Society (Fontes Press, 2022):
Jones sought to recover ancient wisdom for our modern context, arguing that the ethics of the early church provide a model for ecclesial apologetics.
“The church is an argument for the Christian faith,” Jones said. “We don’t just serve to create opportunities to share the gospel, but we should live in a way that our lives are inexplicable without the presence of God. The early church took loving their neighbor seriously and demonstrated the truth of their beliefs by their ethics.”
To fix the ethical lack in many Christians, churches must return to Scripture and address the theological roots behind caring for the poor.
“Our lives should be so soaked with Scripture where every moment Scripture leaks out of us,” Jones said. “Wrong theology will work itself out in wrong practice. Sometimes we try to get the outward expression right without seeing the theological truth behind the ethics.”
You can read the rest of the article here: “Faith and Work Project Helps Christians Honor God in Everyday Life.”
You can learn more about the book here: Rich in Good Deeds: A Biblical Response to Poverty by the Church and by Society.