Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 6
The early Christian quotes he reads (Ignatius: “recognized by their conduct”; Justin: “not those who make profession, but those who do the works who will be saved”; “we don’t speak great things, we live them”) suggest an early Christian instinct about salvation and identity. If a 2nd-century church visited many modern churches today, what do you think they would find most confusing—or most alarming—about our “tests” for who is a Christian?
Another way to ask: Early Christians seemed to test faith by how people lived, not just what they said. If a 2nd-century church visited churches today, what do you think would confuse or worry them about how we decide who is a Christian?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the transcript, early Christians would likely be confused or alarmed that modern “tests” often center on profession, charisma, or a one-time claim while tolerating lives that look “much the same as the world.” Their instinct, as quoted, was that Christian identity is recognized by conduct and lived obedience.
- Ignatius: “those who profess… will be recognized by their conduct,” and “better… be silent and be a Christian than to talk and not be one.”
- Justin Martyr: “not those who make profession, but those who do the works who will be saved.”
- Another quote stresses embodiment: “we don’t speak great things, we live them,” and “The matters… lie in works, not in words.”
- The speaker critiques modern reactions against works: “good works will get you to hell,” as if works must not factor into identifying a Christian.
- He says the change has produced a visible problem: “many people who call themselves Christians but don’t live according to Jesus’ teachings.”
- He notes early Christians invited scrutiny: Tertullian’s “come investigate our communities and find out the way we’re living.”