The Beliefs of the Christian Church - Essay Example

Early Christian spirituality also emphasizes that God values obedience to rules and that these should be taught directly and not merely assumed, like rules on divorce, murder, and adultery. Nevertheless, early Christian spirituality is emphasized and demonstrated to a large extent by Ignatius’ Letter to the Romans and the Didache. From The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans, one can deduce that early Christian spirituality is all about teaching all especially non-Christians what the Christian Church is about. Moreover, it emphasizes to them that if they have faith in Jesus Christ and if they obey His commandments, they will obtain or experience “abundance of happiness” – which is a natural consequence of their faith. Through St. Ignatius’ epistle, one can also say that early Christian spirituality always praised the Church in God’s name – as “worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of the highest happiness, worthy of credit, worthy of being deemed holy” (“The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans”). In the same way, through the Didache, one can deduce that early Christian spirituality is all about teaching others what a Christian should and what he should not do. For example, according to the Didache or the Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles, a Christian should love God and his neighbor as himself (1:2). Moreover, a Christian should not expect to receive but to give (4:5), and that he should not hesitate to give (4:7). Early Christian Spirituality is therefore all about the expression of belief, emphasis on the value of obedience, the imposition of faith in Christ, valuing the Church, and teaching what a Christian is and is not. Read More