Christian Community

[Ryan&Amber2013]

So I was thinking a really neat thought about Christian community. in the upper room there are three important things that Jesus draws our attention to. There is the table where fellowship happens, there is the towel where serving happens, and then there's the truth which is spoken by Jesus. it's almost as if Jesus was modeling in the upper room what Christian community should look like for us. Then, during His speaking He gave us the command to love one another, and during His prayer at that time He prayed for the unity of all believers in all ages, just as the Trinity has unity, and says that through such unity the world will believe the Gospel.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Jesus at that time used a table, a towel, and the truth of the Word to show us what the heart of this unity between Christians should look like. These are simple things, but so rich in meaning.

Then when we get to the Acts 2 church, we see almost a parallel of this being practiced, as they devote themselves to the Word, meals, helping each other, fellowship, and prayer, which Jesus modeled at the upper room.

Thoughts?

 

[Jack K]

Well, the synoptics don't mention the foot washing (although Luke does include a brief teaching about service), so your framework applies only to John. Certainly, Jesus was often doing several things simultaneously while with his disciples, and one of these was to show what Christian fellowship is like. Since the evening in the upper room was a special time with the disciples, I think we surely can learn from it some rich truths about Christian community.

I might adjust the theme just a bit, though, to better fit the language of John. John introduces the events of that evening and the following day by saying that Jesus, having loved his own, now loved them to the end (John 13:1). So one key theme of the account that follows is Christ's perfect, thorough, nothing-held-back love for his own. And Jesus commended this sort of love to the disciples, for them to practice it among themselves as well (John 13:14, John 13:34, John 17:26). So rather than say it's about how to have community, I might borrow John's language and say it's about how to love fellow believers.

 

[jwithnell]

You make intriguing observations, but they seem isolated from their Old Testament context and their place in the covenant. This is, after all, a Passover meal and Jesus didn't innovate until He makes a remarkable claim: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood."

Christian community starts with the covenant God made with us (without which we'd be little more than like-minded people). We are in covenant relationship with one another, under terms given unilaterally by God. Most reformed churches cement this with vows made to God.

In a practical day-to-day sense this does mean self-sacrificing service and hospitality.